


Memories Trapped Behind Nothingness

by Ikitsumi



Series: Chixim's Chronicles [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, I can't believe I'm finally writing this, I had to drag an OC from the abyss of CoM days, Keyblade War (Kingdom Hearts), Kingdom Hearts Chi, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Minor Original Character(s), Multi, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Other, Shipping, Worldbuilding, also the OC paired with Ephemer isn't mine but a friend's, but it's all great and cute and fluffy AGH, honestly this fic is more friendship focused with lil crushes here and there, it's because I'm Marluxia trash tbh, redacting the statement about 'just a friend' because I got a girlfriend now, so we can already see what the ship is based on that, that friend helped inspire all the worldbuilding set here so of course they're tied in, well implied feelings because someone's too shy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-01-25 18:56:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18580582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ikitsumi/pseuds/Ikitsumi
Summary: The first arc of Michi Aiza's story; the advent of a Leopardus Union member who uses her love of music to make new friends and to enjoy her time before the supposed Keyblade War. A time of memories, shenanigans, and beloved others before her memories are sealed away by the Nobody who bestows the name Chixim upon her.





	1. Unexpected Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve finally begun the full story of Michi! It’s been awhile coming because of bringing her back from when I made her after first reading the CoM manga, and subsequently revamping her based on all the information we’d gotten from KHIII and Union Cross. She's my main KH oc and I love what I've done with her because of Union Cross.
> 
> This arc is set in Chi/Back Cover and eventually Union Cross. I also plan on releasing an AU of this specific arc in which Strelitzia is alive and well! 
> 
> Chapter Recommended Listening (on loop): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZdxQY2Bjkk
> 
> Thank you again for reading!

Hauntingly sad, broken sobs emanated from the abandoned warehouse in the Daybreak Town’s marketplace.  
  
Foreteller Invi had been passing by on her way back from the daycare for the children who weren’t able to wield Keyblades--but stopped when she realized that it was past curfew and whoever was crying was definitely out past it. Not only that, but with it being so late and with the negative emotions--  
  
She stopped outside the door, opening it carefully as the sobs became more of a melody--a painful, heartbreaking song.  
  
The girl who was half-crying and half-singing held a Divine Rose Keyblade. Her free hand was pressed into her face to attempt to stop tears from flowing, though it was to no avail. Why did things have to turn out like this? Why did something that she could fix have to break her like this? It wasn’t hard to make friends, she thought, yet she purposely isolated herself from others because she just couldn’t connect. That, and the news that Lux needed to be collected at a faster rate...  
  
She pulled Divine Rose closer to her, continuing to sing as it glowed and morphed.

Invi looked on in awe from behind her snake mask as she watched a glowing Divine Rose Keyblade beginning to change shape and color in a brilliant light, thinning and becoming a steely blue with bright gold accents,a black ribbon, and silver teeth. It was a Keyblade she’d never seen herself, personally, but perhaps it was one that had been drawn forth by its wielder’s heart. It was extremely uncommon and, were it not so late at night, she would have wanted to ask much more about it. But…  
  
The girl looked up in shock as she heard the warehouse door open and she recognized the figure. “L-Lady Invi? I-I-I’m so, so sorry, I know I’m out past curfew, I know I said earlier I was going straight home--” were the only words spoken as Invi approached before her sobs renewed.  
  
Even Invi felt terrible for the wielder, who must have been a mixture of fearful and surprised. She never gave off the most approachable vibes...  
  
“Boop."  
  
Invi had reached into the satchel at her side, pulling out a red panda plushie and pressing it to the wielder’s face. When they looked confused but had stopped crying, Invi took this time to study their features.  
  
She was a teenager, likely on the verge of adulthood. Invi had seen her around at times, knowing that this individual was showing off a side she never would show to others. She recalled always seeing a bright and optimistic girl who was diligent in her missions, who was often seen at the Moogle’s theatre classes at the amphitheater near Waterfront Park dancing away on the stage. There was another notable time she'd seen the girl so broken and confused--and it wasn't a fond memory for Invi either. Who knew that this sad side of her seemed so broken? She noted that the teenager’s strawberry-blonde hair was free from its usual high ponytail, the carnation crown on her head laying on the floor from having fallen off, and that there were tear stains and reddened eyes showcasing irises the color of forget-me-nots.  
  
“You’re one of Master Gula’s members, aren’t you?” Invi asked as she noted a muted yellow sash holding the girl's pink _furisode_ together. She got a nod and a sniffle in response as she pulled the plushie away and eyed the Keyblade again.  
  
She gave Invi a sad look. “...yeah...I met with Master Gula this evening to discuss a new system for party searches, because...you know, our Union is contributing the least amount of Lux. It’s...concerning because of we’re all supposed to be fighting the darkness, yet…” She brought her free hand to her head in confusion, eyebrows furrowed. “Yet why does this _competition_ for who gets the most Lux exist? It makes no sense, and it’s stressful, and it breaks friendships--"  
  
Invi pressed the plushie to the teenager’s face again as she noticed more tears spilling onto the warehouse floor. “I know it’s upsetting--we’d all love to address the issue too.” She let out a small sigh; this would definitely need to be brought up to Ira despite their argument earlier in the evening. “We should get you home--there’s a reason we have a curfew implemented.” Invi paused and looked at the Keyblade again. “What about this?” she inquired, noting that the Keyblade’s body matched the same steely blue she herself adorned.  
  
The young woman shook her head. “I... _this_ is new to me,” she murmured as she lifted the Keyblade up--it was much lighter than she was used to. “But...where is Divine Rose? I can’t seem to bring it back.” She looked at the ground--small medallions were scattered below her hands that she’d known to have fused with Divine Rose. With a sad expression, she collected them tentatively and stowed them in a pouch attached to her Union’s sash before handing back the plushie and letting the Keyblade materialize into a bright white light. “T-thank you, Lady Invi."  
  
Invi gave her a small smile. “Let’s get you home before any Heartless show up.”

* * *

 The two began walking back silently after Invi made sure to close the warehouse up. After some time, they passed through the Marketplace, where very few shops and businesses remained open. Invi sighed as she heard a sniffle again, and directed them both in the direction of Luxbucks.  
  
A small bell chimed as the door opened, and the teenager looked somewhat bashful as the Moogle at the counter was bouncing from seeing a Foreteller in the shop.  
  
“...Is there anything you’d like?” Invi asked her softly.  
  
“Oh, um...it’s late so I probably don’t need caffeine itself, but...just a small iced tea is fine. Something herbal,” she said softly, her face pink as she reached into her pouch to get the Munny to pay for her drink, though Invi pressed a hand to stop her.  
  
The Foreteller ordered their drinks--getting an extra hot white mocha herself--and they left the store not long after so that they could get back to the housing district where all the Keyblade-wielding users lived.  
  
The teenager sipped on her iced tea silently the whole time, seeming contemplative. Being treated like this was a generous gesture, and perhaps she had gotten lucky that it was Invi of all people who’d found her. If it had been Master Ira, she’d have gotten a stern talking to (as she’d witnessed earlier in the evening in Waterfront Park). Aced was extremely imposing and known for his short temper, and he quite frankly intimidated her. Master Ava was more approachable and had a more sisterly vibe about her.  
  
“...you’ll have to tell Master Gula about this, won’t you?” she asked in a low voice, fiddling with the periwinkle-colored straw.  
  
“Unfortunately, yes,” Invi responded as they walked past the fountain and began going up the stairs into the 2nd District. “Again, you know very well why we have curfew. Your emotional state made it all the more dangerous,” she continued, and she herself felt bad when she saw the teenager wince from realization. “...Gula may get onto you, but you know it’s for good intentions,” she said as they approached an array of houses. “We’ll send a Chirithy for you when we decide where to talk to you,” she said softly as she looked to the girl, bringing out the plushie again and lightly tapping her face. It was an oddly comforting gesture.  
  
“Thank you again, Lady Invi…Good night.” The teenager smiled as she bid Invi goodnight and headed to the house she was given to stay in. She unlocked the door and stepped inside tentatively, closing the door and leaning on it for a moment. A long sigh escaped her as she slid down, curling up on the ground while loosely holding the empty cup.  
  
“Why are you back so _late_ \--oh no, what happened?” A small voice asked as a Chirithy bounded from around the corner to her, tone changing from stern to concerned in a split second.  
  
The teenager looked up from where she was sitting and patted Chirithy’s head with an attempt at a smile. “A lot, really. Super busy day and just... I should sleep. Too much to think about.” She stood up and took off her shoes to set them in the doorway, the clinking of the medals in her pouch catching Chirithy’s attention.  
  
“Hey, aren’t those your medals for for Divine Rose?” Chirithy asked curiously as they inspected the noise. “What happened?”  
  
“...It’s been a long day Chirithy, I’ll tell you tomorrow?” She picked Chirithy up and carried them past the entry hall, past the living room, and finally to her bedroom. She set the cup down on her nightstand and rolled onto the bed and shut her eyes with a sigh. “I’ll have to see Master Gula tomorrow and he’s going to yell at me, I’m sure…”  
  
She felt Chirithy nuzzle her--the feeling calmed her instantaneously. Half of her wanted to get up and change her clothes because she still had done a mission before all the evening events transpired, but the side of her that just wanted to sleep took over. As she began to doze off, she heard Chirithy’s soft voice.  
  
“Good night, Michi.”


	2. Reacquainting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fun fact about this: before writing, the friend whose OC is featured and I went on a spree to figure out a tentative timeline for the events of Chi to figure out where her OC would be at this point in Michi's story. And then it turned from cameo into "they actually affect each other heavily welp". Also lots of shenanigans with the Union kids coming up!
> 
> Chapter Recommended Listening (on loop): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ_0dXaePQA

_She stood within nothingness.  
  
__Even without a light source, she could tell her features--a fifteen year old body not yet trained in the ways of fighting, yet here she stood within this indiscernible stage.  
  
__The shadows began to dissipate and she began looking in awe around her, turning her head to look over her shoulder, and stepping back to observe the illuminating area she stood on.  
  
__Across this bright pedestal-like location, she could easily see a Shadow Heartless bound toward her. She swung at it with her fists as it leapt to her and watched it disappear--as if it didn’t exist.  
  
_“Forwardness...a noteworthy trait.”  
  
_She looked around in alarm at a vaguely familiar voice that seemed to come from nowhere--she couldn't immediately grasp it within this sleeping state, but then her attention was drawn elsewhere. Two larger variations of the Heartless she just faced came charging at her, and she jumped out of the way before swinging her body around and aiming a kick at them. They disappeared in smoke.  
  
_“Battle sense...excellent.”  
  
_A different voice that she somehow recognized? What did they mean by battle sense? Suddenly, three Shadow Heartless were circling her, but based on their movements, she figured it was a question of which one would make the first move. She made a motion to swing her fist to her right, where a Heartless had seemed closer than the other two before she dispatched them as well.  
  
_“Intuition...also on point.”  
  
_She guessed she’d always been good at going with her gut feeling as she listened to this third voice that seemed comforting somehow. Feeling more confident, she stood firmly and watched as the next phenomena unfolded. Four more of the larger Heartless began to merge together and began to charge at her. She didn’t run this time--she clenched her fists together as if ready to fight. Before it could touch her, it stopped, as if frozen in mid-air.  
  
_“Fearlessness...your worthiness is asserted.”  
  
_Another voice that she didn’t know as well, but could now guess who it was. Her eyes widened in alarm as the Heartless suddenly jumped back, unfrozen, and multiplied into five. Each figure raised an arm and swung at her--she took a step back, almost teetering as she managed to avoid them. She continued to pirouette her way out of their reach--there was no way that she could fight them, not when she could barely scratch the original one. Something seemed different though as she watched--their hands seemed wispy upon touching the illuminated area she stood upon--almost translucent. She felt invigorated somehow, and let out a shout as she reached out her hand, light gathering in her palm. She swung at one of the Heartless with both hands now gripping the hilt of the weapon that manifested from the light. The first strike didn’t quite damage it, but she tried again after another massive hand came toward her. She swung the Keyblade upward with a flick of the wrist, using her left hand to back the Keyblade to resist it.  
  
_“Your heart is pure.”  
  
_The pressure from her hands lifted as they all disappeared--were they just an illusion?  
  
__The five voices all spoke in unison._  
  
“Choose.”  
  
Five stylized symbols seemed to project from the ground around her. They were images that invoked the images of five influential people within Daybreak Town, and, upon seeing the Starlight Keyblade she held, she knew what this meant.

* * *

 _  
_ The emblem Michi chose that day, almost two years ago, was emblazoned upon the door she found herself staring at now. With a sigh, she knocked three times.  
  
“Come in,” said a voice from inside; the tone was not happy.  
  
Michi steeled herself before turning the knob, entering the office, and closing the door behind her. With a solemn look, she looked to the end of the room where she found Foreteller Gula sitting on a rather ornate desk made of pearly marble. Why he didn’t use the chair, she had never been able to tell, but she nevertheless waited for him to speak as he remained poised there with his arms crossed.  
  
He motioned to a chair nearby. “Michi, we need to talk.”  
  
The teenager scuffled to the chair, sitting as instructed--or so she felt was instructed, seeing as this was Gula’s office within Daybreak Town’s academy. Michi looked outside the singular window in the room and could see the fountain. Her eyes glanced over to a corner of the room where there were numerous bookshelves. There sat an item that would seem out of place for anyone who didn’t know the other Foretellers well, but it was a cat plushie with a yellow cloak next to a photo of seven individuals. She knew that in the other offices nearby, there were similar plushies with similar themes to them.  
  
Her attention was brought back to Gula as she heard him clear his throat.  
  
“First things first: you’re aware of your curfew break and what that entails, right?” He asked, tapping his foot lightly against the side of the desk.  
  
“Yes,” Michi answered with a sigh, already preparing for a lecture.  
  
“You’re not yet 18, and even with you being close to adulthood, there are still rules to be enforced. You’ve always been an emotional person; I remember this from when we used to train you prior to becoming a Wielder, and also from your various mission reports from your Chirithy,” he continued, foot no longer moving.  
  
“The Heartless are drawn towards those who can’t defend themselves. It’s why we situated the living quarters of the Keyblade wielders so close to the housing districts of non-wielders--for you all to be able to protect the other townspeople. However, you also know that they’re drawn toward negative emotions.”  
  
Gula paused for a moment, surveying Michi through his mask, before continuing. “Nighttime masks the Heartless a lot easier than in broad daylight, and what’s worse--you were alone. Even being a Keyblade wielder, you were the easiest target at that moment for any Heartless that could have been lurking around. You’re very lucky that Foreteller Invi was passing by the warehouse on her way back from the daycare last night.”  
  
Michi felt stings inside her from his words, curling up as she drew her knees to her chest. “...I don’t have an excuse for me being out late,” she finally murmured, reaching up to brush locks of hair from her face. “You’re right, Master Gula--I was being irrational and it could have cost a great deal…”  
  
The Foreteller hopped off the desk and reached over to pat her shoulder. “The important part is that you understand this why we have the curfew implemented and what the consequences could be if they aren’t followed. Speaking of consequences…”  
  
Michi’s throat tightened, but then Gula’s next words were interrupted by a knock on the door. Even though it couldn’t be seen from under his leopard mask, he had an air of confusion. “Excuse me,” he said before he stood up straight and went to answer.  
  
Michi turned in her seat and watched as he opened the door. From where she sat, she saw a petite girl who appeared to be clutching a satchel and wearing the dark beige uniform of the Moogle Delivery Service that operated around Daybreak Town. Her messy, light pink hair that almost seemed to have a silvery sheen to it poked out from under her matching beret, and her eyes--also a mysterious silver--were adding to her nonplussed expression.  
  
“Actually...this might be a good opportunity,” Gula muttered, mostly to himself, before he stood aside. “I know you have to get back to work soon, but could you come in for a moment? There’s something I need to talk with you about.”  
  
A pause, then a soft nod as she stepped in, ignoring Michi for the most part despite the strawberry blonde girl grinning widely as if last night had never happened.  
  
Gula resumed sitting on the desk. “For you,” he started, looking at Michi. “For breaking curfew, you’re suspended from missions for the next week.”  
  
“Wait, what?” Michi’s jaw was agape and it appeared like the smile she had before didn’t exist.  
  
“Part of it punishment, yes, but hear me out,” Gula continued, waving an arm. “Foreteller Invi told me something a little more interesting than just you breaking rules. Care to explain what happened to your Keyblade?”  
  
Through her confusion, Michi remembered that there was actually a more pressing issue. “Oh...oh, this, right?” she asked as she held her hand out. Light gathered in her palm and, with almost wave-like movements, the Keyblade from the night before materialized.  
  
Gula looked at it with a hand to his chin. “...she’s right, I don’t recognize that one either,” he muttered as he looked it over. “May I?” he asked Michi, and from seeing her nod, he ran a hand across the sleek body of it--there was a familiarity to it that made him think of his own Keyblade. “When did this happen?” he asked her as he removed his hand.  
  
Michi lowered her head. “Last night when I was in a bad spot. I don’t know, I felt like...like I was alone? And being alone is actually terrifying, and maybe it got the better of me, but then I remembered that music always helps me. Music helps me connect to people, so that was what was on my mind and what I began singing about, and then Divine Rose morphed and then...this.”  
  
Gula nodded slowly, then watched as a puff of pearly smoke appeared above Michi’s head and a Chirithy plopped down on her. “I made sure she slept early, she was really confused about it all,” the cat-like spirit interjected, and it made a squeak as Gula reached over to pet its head.  
  
“And for you, Ario,” the Foreteller started before another _poof_ happened--this time above his own head--and a Chirithy landed on his head and began lightly drumming its paws against him.  
  
“Master Gulaaaa! Hi,” the newer Chirithy squeaked, a lot more excited by his tone, and looked over to see the pink-haired girl’s eye twitching, a surprised teenage girl, and another of his own.  
  
“Hi Chirithy,” the two spirits greeted each other in unison.  
  
The new Chirithy looked to Michi. "Hi! New friend? I hope it's a new friend, Ario always needs new friiiiiends, friends are great, don't you think so too?" he asked, one of his ears wiggling--Michi noticed it was rather small compared to the other.  
  
“Ario’s amongst your ranks now, and you both are...new, in a sense. You can’t go fighting with a Keyblade you have to acquaint yourself with. It came from you. The time off from missions is no excuse to slack off, Michi,” Gula said as he crossed his arms again, a smile on his face as if his idea was genius.  
  
“You’ll be spending your time with Ario training on how to use your new Keyblades.”


	3. Out with the Old, In with the New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of Foreteller time! There's some headcanons that I wanted shed some light on and how their experiences have shaped them.
> 
> Chapter recommended listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ9FVCuf2E0

A blizzard was roaring outside, and Gula found himself in front of Invi’s room within the Clock Tower. “Invi, are you there?” Gula asked as he opened the door without waiting for a response, carrying a tray of drinks precariously in his free hand. He was greeted by the feeling of a higher temperature than the rest of the Clock Tower and, to his surprise, his fellow Foretellers all gathered in the room.  
  
“You’re late to the party,” Ava chided, though her tone wasn’t as upset, as Gula looked over to the huddle going at the end of the room opposite the window. Invi herself was leaning against Aced, who--to most others--would seem like he’d be freaking out by the proposition, but he was allowing it. Ira was going around the room fixing messes here and there, such as straightening the unusually large amounts of blankets that were on Invi’s futon on the ground, attempting to organize the mountain of plushies gathered along the walls and the futon, and organizing the papers and books on a simple desk.  
  
“Glad I’m not the only one here,” Gula remarked as he closed the door and came to sit next to Ava after carefully putting the drinks down. He silently watched Invi, realizing she was asleep after he reached over and placed a hand on hers. “It’s still a psychological thing, isn’t it?” He said after a few moments, looking as the Anguis leader rolled a little in her spot.  
  
"Mm...when we first went through our training with the Master, yes,” Ira said as he finally came back and sat down, leaning forward and placing five plushies near Invi.  
  
Gula fanned himself a little, reaching out and handing out the various drinks. "Black iced coffee for you, Ira; Aced, here’s a mocha with extra whipped cream, and Ava gets a strawberry tea,” he said as he gave out each respective drink, leaving one alone as he picked up an iced latte for himself. “Yeah, even with magically-imbued clothing, I’m burning up right now,” he remarked, flinching as he noticed Ava stiffen as well, “but this is Invi’s space. She should feel comfortable,” he added as he took a drink from the iced latte.  
  
There was silence.  
  
“When was the last time we all gathered like this aside from meetings and before the Master left?” Aced asked finally, reaching down with his free hand and placing it on Invi’s head.  
  
Ava looked thoughtful, her expression indiscernible as she fiddled with a straw that had chew marks already present on it. “...Since the last thunderstorm, I guess.” she offered gently, watching Aced’s expression go slack.  
  
“Before that, when Waterfront Park and Chirithyland were on the verge of flooding,” Gula murmured as a continuation, picking up on Ira’s sharp inhale.  
  
“When the Moogles went on strike and shut all the power off and there were no lights,” Aced grumbled, and Gula curled up.  
  
“And then the subsequent attempt to light fires across town and that almost spelled disaster for the marketplace,” Ira sighed, reaching over to pat Ava’s shoulder as she let out a small whine and sipped at her tea.  
  
Invi let out an incoherent mumble in her sleep and everyone looked at her.  
  
“We should talk to the magic-competent students so they can lessen some of the snow buildup,” Ava suggested. “We can’t delay them their studies, even with inclement weather.”  
  
“Look at you sounding like an adult when we’re all like this,” Ira remarked with a bit of a smile as he motioned to the five of them piled in a room surrounded by plushies and with a sleeping Invi.  
  
“Well...we only have each other, right? Ever since the Master disappeared like he said he hypothetically would,” Aced shrugged half-heartedly. “At least we got the idea to make the academy to give the kids a way to train in a different way than we did.”  
  
“Training, huh…” Gula mused, crossing his arms after putting his drink down. “I’m trying to figure out how else to better help out one of my Union members. Looks like there’s been another case of a previously unknown Keyblade appearing, and I don’t exactly want to keep her in a student sparring course when she’s a competent wielder.”  
  
Ava looked up in interest. “It seems that’s been happening a lot more lately than expected. Should we...take it as a sign that the darkness is approaching?”  
  
The room got quiet again save for Invi’s breathing.  
  
“If you need pointers, I say that lower-difficulty missions would be good--” Aced started before Gula cut him off by raising a hand.  
  
“She’s suspended for the next week: She broke curfew. No can do for now,” Gula sighed regrettably. “Also part of why Invi’s a bit tired, alongside the sudden blizzard. She told me she was coming back from tidying up the daycare after having been with the toddlers all day and found one of my members in the warehouse.”  
  
Ira seemed a little miffed. “We should try to secure the warehouse a little better. Even if Keyblades can continuously open it, there’s always something happening inside. Seriously, even when we keep telling them not to break rules, someone always does,” he huffed.  
  
Gula looked down at Invi, who seemed to be smiling a little in her sleep. “I want to say it could be because of the Master. He did like telling fantastical tales to the kids around town and gave them some adventurous spirit,” he remarked as he took another drink.  
  
“I think Invi was influenced more than the kids, honestly,” Ava giggled. “She did--and still does--go along with all of his jokes and terrible puns and...other habits.” She pointedly ignored how the plushie pile shifted to where the fox and cat plushies were next to each other.  
  
“Anyways,” Gula started again, “I’m not sure how I’d want to get her trained again. There’s no way I can let someone go on a mission with a Keyblade that they--nor we--have any knowledge on, nor would I put her in a class again on Keyblade basics when she’s already adept at it. For now, I have her paired up with another wielder for training while she’s off from missions.” He looked in Ava’s direction with a small nod, and it took her a few seconds before she opened her mouth in understanding.  
  
“That might be the best course of action for now, actually,” Ira interjected as he drank some of his iced coffee. “Smart move in deciding that should she be bested against a Heartless, she’d fall. We can’t afford to lose our warriors now if what Ava said might regrettably be true.”  
  
Gula nodded. “We should try to do this more often, under better circumstances than just us reacting badly to how we were trained,” he lamented. “Hope they get home safely. Seems the two I was just talking to are both at Luxbucks waiting out the storm with some others."  
  
"...Storms...?" Invi murmured sleepily as she woke up slowly and reached over lazily for the white mocha left on the tray. "Gula...did you make sure that Luxbucks was fortified? ...even if Ava managed to calm  _her_ down because of two years ago...I don't think her heart will let her forget the trauma from that day, just like me with what's outside...and how all of us here share our own accounts of pain."  
  
The Foretellers all looked at each other and it sunk in that Invi knew exactly who Gula was talking about.  
  
"They did close all the windows to prevent breakage and the storm shouldn't be visible," he muttered.  
  
Ira frowned. "First the Academy, and now a new Keyblade and breaking curfew? She...never used to be so rebellious."  
  
Ava looked calmly at Ira. "You were the closest to her before she became a Wielder. Deep down, do you still truly hold a grudge against what happened? You're constantly second-guessing how you let your own anger get the better of you when you intimidated her into trying to accept expulsion and for her Keyblade to be destroyed. Don't think the rest of us haven't noticed."  
  
Ira gripped his cup a little tighter than he meant to, causing the lid to pop off.   
  
"I wonder if something else is causing this," Aced remarked as he held Invi's white mocha for her while she sat up. "Ava, you should hold another mass Chirithy meeting to pass along for all of them to keep a closer eye on anything unusual happening in town. We're only five, and Chirithy are many."  
  


* * *

  
“Aah, so your name’s Ephemer? Nice to meet you, I’m Michi!” the teenager trilled as she shook hands with a youth who happened to have been sitting nearby the two girls and pulled an empty seat from nearby so he could join them.  
  
“Nice to meet you too Michi!” Ephemer asked with a bright smile as he looked over to Ario, drinking his vanilla latte.  
  
Ario just sipped at her hot cocoa silently, ignoring the two of them. There was _no way_ she wanted to put up with two excitable chatterboxes after the news she was given. Maybe she could just run home through the blizzard...  
  
“And you? Your name?” Ephemer asked with a beam as he came closer to Ario with a bright smile. He was wearing a white shirt under a cropped black jacket, black gloves, and brown cargo pants tucked into black boots. “We should be friends. It’s what your Chirithy’s been saying,” he remarked as aforementioned Chirithy was playing with Michi’s ponytail to her amusement.  
  
The distractions seemed to be helping Michi ignore the weather outside.   
  
_“...Lord Gula, why? Just...why?”_ Ario lamented in her mind. _“What did I do to deserve this?”_


	4. Assessment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! 
> 
> This time I wanted to focus on a bit of a weakness of mine--battle scenes. Still not my forte, but this also is a good chance to incorporate more headcanon in. 
> 
> Chapter Recommended Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGB0d_cNd1E

“This place...is kinda cool.”  
  
Michi looked around the training grounds that she and Ario were to come to every morning before they went about their patrolling town. She had no idea where they actually were--they’d arrived via a portal from Master Gula himself. The area itself seemed like a sturdily-built arena, with seven pillars depicting the emblems of the Foretellers lining the area and two other symbols that the teenager couldn’t recognize.   
  
In the middle of the field were two individuals--one was easily recognizable as Invi, though the other was a young male in a gray hoodie that was wielding a Starlight Keyblade.  
  
“What do you think?” Michi asked Ario next to her, but she got no response. The other girl looked rather tired, and Michi herself could only guess that Ario was probably not a morning person. The only thing Michi recalled is that the sun wasn’t even up when her Chirithy came to get her.  
  
Gula stepped past them, watching the battle taking place in the field with a stoic expression.  
  
“Master, how many of us get to come down here?” Michi inquired as she looked more intently at the pillars, trying to discern the two unfamiliar symbols.  
  
“At first, none of you kids. As of late, with the emergence of newer Keyblades, it’s been a lot more lively here,” he hedged, hesitation apparent in his voice.  
  
Michi made a noise of acknowledgement in her throat as she turned her attention to the fight. She let out a small gasp as Invi was disarmed, then visibly winced as the Foreteller shot a Blizzaga toward the other wielder and instantly knocked him down. “I’m guessing...we’re fighting you, Master,” she drew out, face unmoving as she looked to him from the corners of her eyes.  
  
“Warm-ups first, then a spar,” Gula said as he waited for Invi and her student to leave the field. As they approached, Gula and Invi exchanged a glance before Invi beckoned Michi closer, pointing at a doorway that would leave some distance between Gula, Ario, the young man, and both Invi and Michi.  
  
"In that case, I’ll get started on Ario’s warm-ups,” Gula announced, going to the field while Ario followed behind wordlessly.  
  
The teenager trotted alongside Invi, much how she’d done a few nights ago. She wasn’t as guilt-wracked as before, but she felt like whatever conversation Invi was going to have with her probably had to do with the evening before she discovered her new Keyblade.  
  
As soon as Invi and Michi were at the doorway and out of earshot, the Foreteller looked to Michi. “You probably already asked Master Gula about this place,” she started, touching the marble doorway lightly, where Michi could now see intricate designs etched in. “We only bring certain individuals here--as you can tell, these are training grounds. We Foretellers used them back when we were training under the Master.”  
  
Michi nodded--she had vague memories of the Master. Michi was amongst the oldest of the population who weren’t adult-aged, so she felt hers may have been a lot more clear than others, perhaps even Ario. She did remember that he wore a long black cloak and weaved fantastical tales that spun imagination into the children. It was even rumored that he was responsible for the overseeing of Chirithyland’s creation and the unicorn racing track--though the latter was supposedly to stop street racing from happening due to the mishaps in the marketplace.  
  
“As for why I’m talking to you here, it’s because Master Gula’s brought you here for the same reason I’ve been bringing Nate here. You both have Keyblades that are unknown, and to prevent casualties, we need to assess your competency at wielding them,” Invi stated as she traced some of the etched symbols. “Going back a little, this is what...Master Ira and I were arguing about that evening,” she admitted. “He tried to claim that I was playing favorites, though it may seem that way from an outsider point of view.” She let out a small sigh. “Again, it’s largely due to how your new Keyblades have unknown abilities. There’s nothing more to it,” she shook her head.  
  
Michi blinked in response, nodding shortly after the explanation. Feeling that the conversation was over, she wandered back to the edge of the field, speeding up when she saw Gula waving his hand in her direction to get her to come closer.  
  
“Michi, Ario, training starts now,” Gula said as he brought forth his Keyblade. “Now for the both of you.”  
  
Ario held out her hand, and Michi wondered if it was a trick of the light, that Ario seemed to display frustration on her face as she brought forth a Starlight Keyblade.  
  
“ _...didn’t Master Invi say that this was for wielders who had different Keyblades--_ ”  
  
“Michi,” Gula’s voice pierced her thoughts.  
  
She shook her head and held out her arm, bringing forth the new Keyblade. She swung it up and down a little, noticing how much lighter it felt compared to Divine Rose.   
  
Invi approached a few seconds later, standing next to Gula and observing the two girls and their Keyblades. “Should I train Michi for now? I have some time before I have to go,” she asked after turning to her fellow Foreteller.  
  
“If you wouldn’t mind, it would be helpful,” Gula answered with a small smile. “Then we can get to the actual spar once everything seems to be figured out.”  
  
Invi led Michi a little farther away once more, though this time it wasn’t for idle chatter. She summoned her own Keyblade. The silver leaves on it only served to remind Michi of the Keyblade she could wield until a few days ago.  
  
“First, we’ll assess offensive status. Come at me,” Invi called, putting herself into a defensive stance. Her tone was far more serious now--normally Michi heard a light-hearted side of her.  
  
The teenager let out a nod, lowering herself before pushing herself forward akin to a track runner at their start. She gripped the handle of the Keyblade, finding it odd due to the ring on the hilt being curved in an odd fashion--she thought it resembled the loop of a treble clef. With as much as she could grip, she swung the Keyblade so that it made contact with Invi’s--though she was surprised as the black ribbon that was loosely wrapped around the top half of it suddenly unfurled and also whipped out. The impact that it made against Invi gave off a louder sound than a normal cloth ribbon would normally do so. Both women watched as the sparks that flew off of the Keyblade’s impact took on the form of musical notes in varied colors.  
  
“So something like Counterpoint?” Invi mused as she easily parried Michi’s attack off. “There’s some power to it--not as imbued as say, Fenrir or Treasure Trove, but…hm. We’ll go for a defensive strategy next,” she said as she prepared her own attack stance, backing away a good distance. “Guard yourself!” she shouted as she rushed closer--the speed was almost overwhelming to Michi.  
  
With a small yelp and little time to prepare for Invi’s speed, she fumbled with the grip and managed to catch it by the ring on the hilt. She swung it upward by rotating her wrist, using her free hand to press against the teeth of the blade and managing to catch Invi just in time. She winced as the sound of metal scraping against metal reached her ears, even more so due to her Keyblade’s longer length.   
  
“Hmmm…” Invi pondered as she stepped away. “The length could be used for some time delay, though the capability itself might be best for utilizing your medals for. Have you tried using them yet?” she asked, and let out a hum as Michi shook her head no. “That’ll be a good experiment to see which of your medals resonate with the Keyblade best. Now, here’s the interesting part. We’ve noticed that a lot of these Keyblades are those that come of resolve--of a desire. What was the song that you were singing when you first called the Keyblade?”  
  
Michi’s face grew pink as she noticed that Gula and Ario had stopped as well to listen in. “Well...it was about, um…” Why did she feel so bashful suddenly? Part of it likely had to do that Invi outed Michi having cried in the middle of the night over a trivial matter. “I felt lonely and wanted friends.”  
  
Invi paused before nodding once, seemingly looking past Michi. “Next goal--disarm me.”  
  
There was silence before Michi let out a “huh?” in response.  
  
“I’m loathe to admit, but I’m expected at the daycare today and it’s already getting to be time for me to leave,” Invi admitted. “Though I’d like to see what else you’re all capable of.”  
  
“I guess...that makes some sense?”  
  
Invi lowered herself. “Channel your feelings as you move. Attack once more!” she shouted, holding her Keyblade in front of her.  
  
Michi took a breath, watching Invi’s movements carefully. She steadied her breathing, making them as precise in time as she could. Her mind began to weave a small song that she whispered, and she watched as small red notes began to float out of the Keyblade in her hands. They floated in the air, popping like bubbles as they touched the Keyblade again. Her eyes widened as she felt a sudden surge of strength--   
  
“ _Maybe I can disarm her._ ”   
  
With the strange surge flowing through her, she rushed toward Invi. As she brought down the Keyblade with a swing that felt heavier than she intended, Invi’s arms were noticeably shaking.  
  
“Now guard!”  
  
Michi squeaked as she heard the boy’s voice from earlier behind her, his own Keyblade held back as he moved to strike her.  
  
“W-w-wait, how is this fair?” Michi yelped as she held off Invi. Was this what she meant by “you all” and not just referring to Michi? From her panic, she didn’t notice the pale green notes floating around the Keyblade and bursting on impact with it.   
  
Suddenly, everything around her seemed like it had been slowed. She took this opportunity to duck, bringing the Keyblade down with her and making a desperate dive to get out of the way. She turned to look back up, watching the boy’s Keyblade collide with Invi’s, and everyone in the arena watched as Invi’s Keyblade went flying into the air and landed directly in front of Michi’s face.  
  
“So, it seems this Keyblade can provide buffs to make up for your own shortcomings,” Invi stated, and Michi wondered if that was a direct insult to her. She was one of the oldest wielders around, right? Shouldn’t that have amounted to something?  
  
Invi looked over the design of the Keyblade again. “I would see if music triggers its effects. Also, this ribbon,” she said as she took ahold of it and lifted it up. “It’s more than just show. That’d be something else to work with--it’s far sturdier than it looks.”   
  
“Go tend to the kids, Invi,” Gula said airily as he waved his hand. “I’ll take it from here.”  
  
“Then tomorrow, same time. Good day,” Invi responded to the three younger wielders, opening a portal and stepping into it.  
  
Gula watched her leave before he turned his attention back to the other three. “Alright, we’ll start from the beginning again. And Ario, don’t give me that look, you’re going to learn to use it properly,” he chided the pink-haired girl, who Michi saw was actually visibly dismayed at the Keyblade.  
  
Michi felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around to see the boy. His hair color was an even split of black and white, along with a red eye and a blue eye. She hadn’t seen those features earlier, so it startled her momentarily.  
  
“Hey, sorry I rushed at you earlier. Master Invi was talking to the both of us, but I guess you spaced out, huh?”  
  
Michi just shrugged.  
  
“Guess we’ll be seeing each other around a bit. Name’s Nate,” he introduced himself, holding out his hand to shake it.  
  
“Michi,” the teenager greeted with a small smile.   
  
Nate looked past Michi at Ario. “I tried talking to her earlier, but she gave me the cold shoulder,” he told Michi as he turned back to her. “Is she always like this?”  
  
Michi thought for a moment. Sure, she had only met Ario once--to her memory--before the other day, and she was quiet then.   
  
“I guess? She hasn’t opened up to me either,” Michi sighed.  
  
“Alright, back to it!” Gula’s voice broke their conversation, and Michi brought up her Keyblade.  
  
Michi looked between the three of them. Of the four there, only she and Gula had unique Keyblades. So then, why were Nate and Ario here?


	5. Remembrance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm back! 
> 
> I wanted to focus on a few more world-building tidbits and explore a little bit more about Michi herself. Hope some angst is up your alley!
> 
> Chapter Recommended Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VykYE2fJPA

“Ario, wait up!”  
  
How was she _doing_ that?  
  
Michi was running along the streets in the 1st District full of the non-Wielders, narrowly avoiding running into other people as she tried to keep up with Ario. It was a more challenging feat than it should have been, but considering that Ario was literally _hopping across the rooftops_ at an alarming distance than should be possible, Michi was flabbergasted.  
  
“Ario, we’re supposed to be training together!” she shouted, emphasis on the last word. However, it fell on deaf ears as the pink-haired girl above continued to leap and bound across the violet rooftops customary of each building.  
  
Michi only ever came to this part of the town when missions called for it, or if Heartless began trying to attack the non-Wielders. Even though everyone who attended the Academy was combat-trained in fending off the Heartless, it was widely known that Keyblade Wielders were more adept to it due to the nature of their weapons. That, and Michi was currently focusing on pursuing Ario rather and ignoring the disillusioned stares of some of the younger kids--something seemed judgemental about it all.  
  
She stopped to catch her breath, panting as she put her hands on her knees as she leaned over. This was way more strenuous than fighting Heartless, though an inkling of a thought formed in her head that this may be a good exercise routine for building up her stamina.  
  
Looking ahead, she saw Ario slip through the open window of a house and emerge through the other, due to the rooftop being far taller than the rest. As Michi resumed her pursuit, she paused at one of the signs at an intersection walkways. Was she headed to the 2nd District now; where Michi herself and the other Keyblade-wielders lived? Michi didn’t want to go in the area either unless it was to go home, or if it was for missions.  
  
It wasn’t fun standing out for more than just being one of the few Keyblade wielders who was almost adult-aged.  
  
Just as Michi thought that Ario was going to turn in that direction, she instead hopped across a rooftop and it looked as if she was on her way to the marketplace.  
  
What was with her, though? She knew that Ario seemed to have her own agenda, and even on that mission long ago, Ario didn’t talk to her much despite it being an escort mission. Maybe she gained more of an independent streak ever since getting a Keyblade and that was why Master Gula wanted them to train together?  
  
She dismissed the thought as she began approaching the area, opting to figure out where Ario was going instead so she wouldn’t run directly into anyone. It was busy as usual for the time of day; with it being roughly noon, most everyone was eating lunch from the various food stalls, and Michi even took a small detour by the new Dreamland Cafe in her rush to try and get to Fountain Square.  
  
Michi glanced up at the sky again to catch sight of her training companion, frowning as she saw the sky overcast in this part of town. Rain itself was fine, but if it was going to storm…  
  
As she passed the Fountain, she looked to the Clock Tower in the distance. As a contrast to the purple rooftops in every other part of town, there was a myriad of colors on the new set of rooftops that Michi only saw the other day, and honestly didn’t like to see.  
  
After all, she was given extremely hard stares after she left when Gula made the decision to pair her and Ario up to train.  
  
She saw Ario pause and look around, then look down as if she had seen something. To Michi’s chagrin, Ario did begin heading in the direction of the Academy.  
  
Michi paused mid-step. She didn’t want to cause a scene here so soon after her most recent visit. Maybe as far as Ario went, and then she’d leave and go about her day, and just tell Master Gula that she lost track of Ario. Yeah, that would work.  
  
Slowing to a walk, she turned the corner where she last saw Ario standing on the rooftop. With the Academy buildings in full view, she gave it a hard stare.  
  
“Here to cause another storm?”  
  
Michi froze-she knew that voice a little too well. Without looking in the direction of the male’s voice, she instead looked at the sky. “Nope, just trying to find someone that I’m supposed to be working with. Why are you here, of all people? Since you graduated before me, that makes you being here stand out more.” Her tone was more bitter than she wanted it to be; why couldn’t she remain calm?  
  
“And whose fault was it that you didn’t graduate alongside us?” came the voice again, and Michi this time glared at a boy dressed in varying gray clothes, a hat obscuring his eyes. “I didn’t think you’d have the gall to show yourself around here unless it was for meeting with one of the Masters.”  
  
“And you’re as insufferable as ever,” Michi retorted, crossing her arms. “I don’t want to be here just as much as people don’t want to see me here either.” She looked momentarily at the various buildings--more than half of them looked notably newer. Without looking back at him because seeing him was doing her no good, she sighed. “Like I said, I’m here for work. Have you seen a girl with pink hair hopping on rooftops around here?"  
  
“Can’t say,” he replied airily with a shrug.  
  
Michi gave the buildings a hard stare. “You haven’t changed at all, haven’t you? Your class caused ours a lot of trouble with how you were always being rowdy and experimenting while we neighboring classes tried to at least pay attention in lectures.”  
  
“Even though we were disruptive, who was it that destroyed literally half this campus?”  
  
“I _didn’t_ instigate it.”  
  
“And that’s not what the board decided, _repeat_.”  
  
Without any further response to him, Michi turned on her heel and began stalking off. She knew she shouldn’t have tried to approach the school, even if she was trying to keep up with Ario. Her thoughts were murky as she left the area.  
  
“...I really didn’t know, though,” she murmured to herself as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.  
  
When she opened the door to the classroom that day, she hadn’t seen any sort of indication that no one was to open the door, nor was her sense for magic strong enough to sense that there had been a seal in place.  
  
Storms scared her for a reason. She was scorned by the student population for a reason. Aced and Ira scared her for a reason.  
  
Michi looked down at her hands as she continued walking through town, no longer thinking about her tasks at hand. Getting a Keyblade was a lot more trouble than it was worth--if anything, her troubles did start when she became a wielder. Sure, Chirithy was a welcoming presence into her life, even if he was snarky and overbearing at times, but there had been a period where she felt like he felt distant...different, even.

* * *

The sky was still overcast by the time she realized she’d reached Waterfront Park. She glanced up at the amphitheater nearby the lighthouse, finding herself wandering to the empty stage. With no one seemingly around due to it being lunch hours, she hopped onto the stage and looked up. On one of the faroff islands that was visible from beyond the lighthouse, she could see a giant, rainbow-colored Ferris wheel from where she knew Chirithyland was operating. It wasn’t long ago that in this park, she’d seen Foretellers Invi and Ira arguing about who she knew was now Nate. He didn’t seem to think badly of her, even though Michi herself was notorious for the destruction of half the Academy.  
  
Maybe she’d get in some practice with her Keyblade before she called it quits for the day. Music would ease her mind.  
  
Materializing the Keyblade in her hands, she unwound the long black ribbon that was wrapped around the top and began waving it around, watching the black cloth dance in the wind.  
  
Why did this Keyblade come to her? Sure, she did desire friends after the constant reminders that her party members would simply tolerate her presence because she was a somewhat capable fighter to fill in space. She learned the other day that Ephemer was a Unicornis member and had graduated from the Academy a year after she did, so it wouldn’t be often that they’d be able to see each other to her dismay. He was the first friend she’d had since Elrena, and with Elrena being in the Ursus Union upon receiving her own Keyblade, they’d only ever gotten to see each other in school. How was Elrena doing, anyway? She was probably the only person who’d actually believed Michi when the destruction incident happened. If only there was a way to go back to the time before the incident.  
  
She twirled the ribbon around, spinning on her heel, and began humming something. Lyrics weren’t coming to her; she needed to clear her head first.  
  
What if she didn’t cause the incident though? She knew she opened the door that unleashed the contained storm magic experiment, but was it true that there had actually been warning signs placed everywhere when she was asked by one of the many Moogle teachers to go to that specific classroom to get some papers for them?  
  
Her dancing became more vigorous as she tried to channel out the negative thoughts, her humming being raised to wordless vocalizations. What began as simple spins became a full-fledged dance as she hopped around lightly, mimicking Ario’s earlier movements and even causing some small musical notes to float out from the Keyblade and float in the air like bubbles.  
  
Michi only stopped as she heard a small yelp and a _thud_ , looking around wildly for the source. She caught sight of a girl standing up and wincing as she brushed dirt off of her clothes. As Michi looked her over, she first noticed a large, turquoise, star-shaped barrette holding back short, choppy mulberry locks of hair that slightly covered red eyes. Overall, her look was somewhat tomboy-ish, though cute in its own way with a jade-green scheme. Her posture seemed to be on the shy side; something very opposite of the outgoing Michi.  
  
“Mm...can I...help you?” Michi asked somewhat awkwardly. “ _Way to go…_ ”  
  
The other girl looked up, her lips pursed indecisively. “Well, I...I heard music, so I thought there was something going on…” she admitted in a soft voice.  
  
Michi hummed in her throat for a second. “Not really, just me doing some practice here,” she admitted as she nudged the Keyblade as if to show the other girl.  
  
“So you too?” the girl asked as she approached Michi, also clambering onto the stage. Upon a closer look, Michi figured she was also younger, probably 15.  
  
“Wait, _too?_ ”  
  
“You also have your own Keyblade? It seems that’s been happening a lot lately--well, what I heard,” Michi corrected herself, rubbing the back of her head. She sat down on the edge of the stage, patting the space next to her.  
  
The other girl sat down tentatively, looking over the Keyblade. “Your song was really pretty,” she told Michi with a small smile. “It made me think of my brother. I haven’t been able to see him with how busy missions have been.”  
  
Michi let out a small noise of understanding. “Thank you! I want to come up with lyrics for it, but...I couldn't think of any. Too much on my mind.”  
  
“I mean, that’s what music is for, right? It helps get some messages across, I think…” the girl responded, swinging her legs slowly.  
  
Michi nodded vigorously. “That’s exactly why I love it so much! Haha, you actually get me!” she exclaimed, mood much better than earlier. “Oh, um. My name’s Michi, how about you?”  
  
The girl smiled shyly in response. “Nova.”  
  
“What Union are you in?” Michi asked curiously before Nova looked away suddenly toward the park area.  
  
A boy with hair that matched Nova’s was waving in her direction.  
  
As Michi looked back to Nova, she could easily recognize the expression that the girl was wearing. “Hey, if you ever wanna hang out, we can always meet here. I think you should definitely go spend time with your brother.” She smiled.  
  
“Mm...it’s a promise then, Michi.” Nova beamed as she hopped down, letting out a wavering sound as she nearly lost balance again, and began to head over to her older brother.  
  
Michi watched them leave, then looked down at her Keyblade.  
  
In an ideal world, she’d have been able to graduate alongside Elrena. She would have tried to get to know Lauriam instead of just staring at him from across the room. Michi would have been on better terms with Brain and partook in the shenanigans that the misbehaving, smarter kids were always doing. She wouldn’t have been suspended from missions for a year while she struggled to actually graduate. She wouldn’t have the ire of the Academy staff or some of the townspeople and she’d have lots of friends like Ephemer, Ario, and Nova. Maybe even the Master who wore the black cloak and always told stories around town would be here to continue to amaze the younger kids. Maybe there would be no rumors in the wind about a war.  
  
She smiled and got up to practice again, lost in her imagination.


	6. Leadership

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uploading this as a bit of a birthday present for myself, hehe~ (June 1st yeee)
> 
> I knew this chapter would be written eventually, and I just wasn't sure when I'd do it-but here it is and I think it's an interesting spot for it!
> 
> The last two words of this chapter is my ship name for them~
> 
> Chapter Recommended Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB-Ce8TPxb4

“Chirithy, what do you think? Nothing seems to be improving.”  
  
Michi shivered as she wrapped her furisode tighter around her body, trailing a little farther ahead of three other Keyblade wielders, as per their agreement.  
  
A few hours ago, Michi had overheard a three-person group talking about potential new  varieties of Heartless appearing around Daybreak Town. In her excitement, she had exclaimed about wanting to help investigate. Just as usual, she’d steeled her heart in the event that they said no, but had been slightly taken aback as they agreed on the condition she act as the lure. With her knowledge of her Keyblade’s abilities, she accepted those terms.  
  
“I don’t agree with the notion of you being _used_ for dangerous tasks like these, especially since you’ve only had this Keyblade for a month and a half,” Chirithy interjected as they let out a sneeze from atop Michi’s head. “Plus, we haven’t seen any new Heartless yet,” the spirit added.  
  
“I mean...if it’s to help the town out, then I’m not objected to this,” Michi murmured as she looked up. There were very light flakes of snow drifting down, but nothing that would indicate a blizzard.  
  
Chirithy drummed her head lightly with their paws, letting out a sigh. “You have to stop blaming yourself for everything. For all you know, they could have just had less defense-oriented people in their group.”  
  
Even though Chirithy offered the possibility, both Chirithy and Michi knew that the disillusioned looks from earlier were the same as the students who scorned her.  
  
“Which way should we go? The 2nd District or the Avenue?” Michi asked as they approached the end of the Marketplace, turning back to the group she was accompanying.  
  
The three looked at each other for a moment. “I think the Avenue might be better. Less protected,” one of the boys responded, and Michi turned around with a hand on her hip.  
  
“Sounds good,” Michi trilled in an attempt to keep the mood up. “It’s strange though, we haven’t seen anything new yet.” She tapped the ground with her Keyblade, lifting it up and tugging on the ribbon absentmindedly.  
  
“After that, we should be done with the daily patrol mission, right?” another boy said as he rested his Starlight Keyblade on his shoulder, cocking his head.  
  
“Yeah, then we can get inside! It’s freezing out here,” the remaining member, a younger girl, offered as she pulled on her coat hood.  
  
The second member let out a groan. “Man, and I thought we’d be fighting a huge horde or something.”  
  
“You just wanted to show off that you got an upgraded Starlight,” the girl retorted as she frowned at her basic form Starlight Keyblade.  
Michi fiddled with the ribbon of her own Keyblade.  
  
_Maybe they do just want to be rid of my presence.  
  
_Chirithy tapped her forehead firmly with a grunt of disapproval.  
  
“Alright, time’s a-wasting, let’s go,” Michi declared as the group began the walk into the alleyway that led to the Avenue.  
  
It was interesting getting used to going on missions again, though Master Gula had restricted her to town-only missions until she could learn and utilize more of her Keyblade’s activities. Chirithy being there was for supervision in case something new came up.  
  
“I’m going to scout ahead,” Michi told the three other wielders as they approached the bridge. “I think at this point, we all want to get out of this cold. I’ll do a quick check and if there’s nothing, we’re done for the day!”  
  
She took their sighs of relief as an indication of a break from the weather.  
  
The teenager visually scanned the area ahead, then went to the railing to peer down at the frozen water below. “Clear,” Michi announced as she went forward, holding onto the ribbon as it whipped from the stronger air current. She continued across the bridge, shivering from the air around her. Still though, it was odd that there were no Heartless around…  
  
The strawberry blonde girl returned back to the group with a trot.  
  
“Alright, let’s all get back to Fountain Square to report in with the other patrol groups,” the first boy, presumably this party’s leader, declared.  
  
Chirithy let out a tut as the four wielders began to walk back to the Marketplace. “Too bad we didn’t get to see any Keyblades in action,” the spirit continued as their tail wagged.  
  
“I mean, that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Michi commented as they crossed through hurriedly, everyone wanting to get out of the cold.  
  
The fountain itself contained frozen water, and, to Michi’s surprise, she saw a familiar face there with a few other Keyblade wielders.  
  
“Ario!” Michi exclaimed as the groups met up next to the structure. “We scanned the western part of Daybreak Town, but no Heartless. What about you? Isn’t that weird?” she shot off, her arms drawn to her chest but her Keyblade waving in her hands to indicate her excitement.  
  
Ario’s own Chirithy immediately leapt towards Michi’s face, causing the teenager to let out a yelp as she stumbled from the weight of two Chirithy.  
  
“You’re right, it’s weird that there were none in the northern part of town either,” one of the other members from Ario’s group added. “Not seeing Heartless at all is like the calm before the storm…”  
  
Everyone looked at each other, frozen in realization.  
  
There were shouts from everyone as darkness suddenly filled the sky and varying Heartless seemed to come from every direction.  
  
“Chirithy! Go get the Masters, hurry!” Michi shrieked as she grabbed the ribbon of her Keyblade and straightened it out.  
  
“No need to tell me!” Michi’s Chirithy exclaimed in shock as they poofed in pearly smoke, dragging Ario’s Chirithy with them.  
  
“After them!” one of the other wielders shouted as they pursued a large group of Heartless toward the Clock Tower north of their location.  
  
Michi swung her Keyblade at a Shadow that leapt at her face, then spun around. She tapped the ground with her Keyblade a few times, watching as red notes came out of it. She swung at them, popping them like bubbles, and turned around to one of her group members. “At this point we need to split up! If they’re going north, we need some to stay here, some to go west, and some to go south!”  
  
With nods, two more wielders headed to the 2nd District.  
  
“Ario, where are you?” Michi yelled into the wind, and saw a pink flash jump past her. “Wait up!” she shouted as she also began to follow.  
  
She realized Ario was going to the 1st District.  
  
The girls wordlessly dispatched any Heartless that came across their path as they entered the Marketplace once more. Michi let out a gasp as a Large Body slammed on the ground in front of her, and she leapt back, tapping the ground with her Keyblade again. What did she need this time?  
  
“ _Like the winds around me, give me a gift of the feathered swift,_ ” Michi murmured as small green notes hit her Keyblade. Again, the sensation of time being slowed came across her, and she scanned for any weak points. She jumped to the other side of the Heartless and struck at its back with a heightened speed, dispatching it with enough hits.  
  
As soon as that one disappeared though, two more appeared.  
  
She heard the _clang_ of a Keyblade falling, and turned around in shock as she saw Ario flying back into the nearest wall. The momentary lapse, however, was barely enough time for Michi to narrowly avoid getting slammed herself by what looked like a larger Shadow. The effect of her speed buff seemed to have worn off right after this.  
  
“ _That must be the new Heartless type that everyone was talking about,_ ” Michi realized in horror. “Ario!” she shouted as she grabbed Ario’s Starlight and ran to the pink-haired girl, reaching out to grab her arm to help her up.  
  
Ario held out a hand as she grunted and pushed herself up shakily. “Hold onto that,” she muttered as she took a deep breath instead and closed her silver eyes. Michi stared as Ario opened them up again and bolted forward with that seemingly impossible leaping power and began fighting the Heartless with hand to hand combat instead, sending them flying farther than she’d been flung herself.  
  
_Was she rejecting her Keyblade_?  
  
The wall behind Michi shattered and she let out a cry of pain as she was pummeled with broken wooden boards form the impact, colliding with the ground and dropping both of the Keyblades she was holding except for the ribbon she was holding on to.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a scream as she pulled her Keyblade to her just in time to stop a Neo-Shadow from clawing at her. It was a _lot_ stronger than its smaller counterpart for sure.  
  
Her mind was racing, her arms shaking from the pressure, and she was terrified. If only she hadn’t lost Divine Rose.  
  
The Neo-Shadow in front of her was suddenly flung away and the relief of pressure caused her to sit up suddenly, almost bumping into another Starlight Keyblade. Slowly, she looked up at her rescuer and let out a gasp.  
  
“That was close,” they exhaled as they jumped over to finish off the Neo-Shadow. Michi remained frozen, a happy feeling welling within her, only jumping back into realization when another hand extended to reach out for hers. She looked toward who was helping her up and beamed, tears almost welling in her eyes.  
  
“Elrena!” Michi shouted excitedly, loud enough that the blonde winced as Michi instead pulled her down for a hug rather than get up.  
  
There was a grunt from the other girl as she accepted Michi’s hug before pointing her Starlight at an oncoming Violet Waltz. “Close your eyes and don’t worry, I’m here,” Elrena muttered before she looked to her other companion. “Watch yourself!” she shouted out. “Thundaga!”  
  
Michi let out a shriek and clung to Elrena tighter as thunderbolts danced around the area. Elrena was a comforting presence, though, so there was still a reminder that she wasn’t alone this time.  
  
When the bolts disappated, footsteps approached the two girls. “You should work on some fine control,” they told Elrena with a punctuated sigh.  
  
“Oh yeah, here’s your savior from earlier,” Elrena whispered in Michi’s ear. “Don’t pass out now,” she added with a giggle as she felt Michi tense up when she’d turned to look.  
  
“It’s troubling that there was suddenly a huge attraction of Heartless here, so I’m glad we made it back in time,” was what Michi heard before it registered to her that Lauriam was pulling her up to her feet, though a rather pronounced frown was present on his face.  
  
“How did you know what was going on? There were only several groups set for town patrol today because there were a lot of missions in the other worlds that were up on the board…” Michi asked as she looked between Lauriam and Elrena. “Aside from that, aren’t we all in different Unions? What’s...happening?” She was confused, excited, scared, and a myriad of other emotions she couldn’t quite place.  
  
“Oh, that’s them--the one who let us know what was going on,” Elrena said as she pointed in the direction where Michi had last seen Ario. Beside Ario though, there was yet another familiar face that made Michi beam.  
  
The sight of Ephemer and Ario, back to back, swinging Keyblades at oncoming Shadows, was invigorating.  
  
“Alright! We’ve got a town to protect!” Michi declared out loud, making Elrena wince again and Lauriam almost jump in surprise. “Oh--Elrena, you’re the speedy type, right?” she asked, getting a short, confused nod in response. Michi met that look with a smile. “Okay, I’m gonna try something--this is kind of experimental, but...bear with me, okay?” She held out the ribbon of her Keyblade to Elrena. “Just hold onto this.”  
  
Deep breaths.  
  
Michi couldn’t see Elrena as she closed her eyes, but there seemed to be visual vibrations as she looked in the blonde’s direction. What was this feeling in her heart? Why did she want to sing?  
  
“ _Live life with love; share it all at the speed of light,_ ” Michi murmured as she watched pale green musical notes emit from the Keyblade and land on the ribbon. Elrena gave Michi a surprised look.  
  
“That was...cheesy, but whatever it was, this should be interesting,” Elrena responded with a grin as she let go of the ribbon, leaning closer to Michi’s ear. “Good luck,” she told Michi with a teasing tone before she left to attack a nearby Morning Star with a blinding speed. Was that what Michi looked like when she used that particular buff?  
  
Lauriam and Michi watched as various portals opened around them warily; Michi let out an audible squeal and put her Keyblade in front of her as Lauriam also made a defensive stance. However, what they saw was more surprising than worrisome as more of the wielders began entering the town to deal with the Heartless. An elated feeling began to fill Michi’s chest. If Lauriam and Elrena had been here because of Ephemer, were all of these wielders here too?  
  
Michi turned back to Lauriam to exclaim happily, but found herself stopping as she accidentally met his gaze. He looked really upset for some reason--and that unsettled Michi a little more than if he’d actually shown if he wasn’t fond of her like most of the other students. Lauriam had always been the responsible type--diligent in his studies, being a role model for the rest of the class, always having been popular. It would make a lot of sense that he wouldn’t think highly of her.  
  
“Weren’t you using a Divine Rose before?” Lauriam asked as he looked at Michi’s Keyblade, his gaze averted momentarily. It seemed to put Michi at ease from the change of topic.  
  
“Y-yeah. This happened about a month and a half ago,” Michi pointed out as she tugged at her sleeves. There was still a bit of silence that Michi couldn’t quite place the mood on. “I...I think I’d better go help,” she finally said as she drew her arms closer to her body, picking the ribbon up and holding it between them. “I think there’s a way I can help out the other wielders if I hurry.”  
  
Lauriam looked at her again with an unreadable expression, though something seemed to indicate disgruntlement. “Priorities, yeah…” he answered back, bringing his Starlight Keyblade to his chest. Michi noted that it was a much higher upgrade than her teammate’s one from earlier--and there was something similar about it.  
  
What was Lauriam’s specialty back in class…?  
  
Without any more words, Michi made a hasty run back to Ario and Ephemer’s direction as Elrena went back to Lauriam momentarily, shouting something that Michi couldn’t make out. Closing her eyes again, she found the same vibration that she had seen with Elrena surrounding Ephemer. With Ario though...there was nothing. She wanted to sing again.  
  
“ _Become a sword and carry a promise of protecting our light.”_  
  
A burst of red notes spilled forth from Michi’s Keyblade as she flung the ribbon at Ephemer, who’d barely managed to grab it. His eyes widened as a red glow surrounded him and Ario. “Wow Michi, what is this? I feel super empowered!” he exclaimed with a wide smile as he swung vigorously at a Neo-Shadow, and it dissipated and released a heart instantly.  
  
Michi let out a delighted laugh as she brought her Keyblade towards her, leaping back to let the two continue their synchronized attacks.  
  
What she didn’t hear, though, were the two arguing about getting in each other’s way.  
  
More portals opened, and these ones were far more pronounced. Cheers erupted from all the wielders around as the five Foretellers appeared and began their own assault against the Heartless horde.  
  
There was a small tap on Michi’s shoulder and she turned to see Lauriam again, then turned fully to face him.  
  
“I’m not mad at you--I just really don’t like this cold and I’d like to get out of it,” he stated as he looked apologetically to Michi.  
  
She couldn’t help but return his smile as he held a hand out towards her and met her gaze. It was much warmer than before.  
  
“This is gonna sound kinda mushy, but...if I remember, you’re good at magic, right?” The opposite of her. Michi placed the ribbon in Lauriam’s open hands before closing her eyes. “ _Place trust in the light that guides us and become its everlasting, blooming guide_.”


	7. Recollections and Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Recommended Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuytOagh9_Q
> 
> Sorry, it's been awhile coming! Had a lot of things going on as far as work, some more development, and trying to figure out what would be good to elaborate on. I should try to work on more POVs from other stances.
> 
> As a little fun note from recent developments though: Michi's curiosity in Ario won't reach an actual romance unlike their creators :">
> 
> Thanks again for reading! If there's anything that you readers would like to see touched on or elaborated, please let me know! I'd like to be able to show off more character development~

_Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap-_  
  
Literally in front of the stairs she ascended from was an open door.  
  
“And just _why_ are you here?”  
  
Michi was bouncing on her heels, staring with wonder into the topmost room of the shared housing complex that her own room was located at. The windows were _huge_ ; it was easy to get a view of the tower from the location. Just how was someone supposed to draw the curtains without a ladder or something?  
  
“Because now we’re _neighbors_! This is exciting!” Michi trilled as she turned her attention to a very disgruntled Ario.  
  
Ario herself stared coolly at Michi with her silvery eyes, hoisting up a box that made a clanging sound with what sounded like pots and pans. “How did you even...wait, I think I know.” She turned her head toward the table piled with boxes, narrowing her gaze at the very bouncy Chirithy who was sprawled across the topmost one. She glanced again at Michi, who had a very tell-tale beam on her face.  
  
“I know we’re not being forced to train together anymore, but maybe we can spend more time together this way? Y’know, since we still can go to the training grounds, or do patrols together! I mean, you do spend a lot of time around town since you still work for the Moogle Delivery services, so-”  
  
A Chirithy was promptly shoved in Michi’s face to stop her from rambling, and the teenager regretted taking a large inhale at that point because _soft Chirithy fur and can’t breathe through it-_  
  
Michi’s Chirithy fell onto the floor with an “oof” and stood up, brushing their cape off. “Michi, I did tell you not to just rush up here without a proper invitation-Chirithy doesn’t exactly count,” they pointed out.  
  
Michi caught her breath, shaking her head for a second before looking at Ario again. “Do you at least want some help? It’ll help you get settled in quicker!” she chirped, back to rocking back and forth on her heels.  
  
“No,” Ario answered as she turned on her heel to resume putting things away.  
  
“I could give you a strength boost, at least? I think I’m getting the hang of this,” Michi offered with a tilt of the head and a hum.  
  
Ario slowly set down the boxes she was holding and took a step closer.  
  
Michi found herself backing out of the room slowly, taking small steps that grew into larger ones as Ario came imposingly closer. The fact that Ario was expressionless was curious yet intimidating at once.  
  
She was in such a daze that the only sound she could hear aside from her own screaming was Ario’s door slamming shut and only registering the pain of falling down the stairwell from not paying attention to how far back she was going. Michi just laid there, letting the pain subside as she chided herself for not paying attention and ignoring Chirithy’s shrill voice asking if she was okay.  
  
“Ehh...let’s...go for a walk, Chirithy,” she finally said as she pushed herself up. She ignored the numbness her heart was feeling and was telling her, as evident by Ario’s actions.  
  
“But Michi, it’s cold outside.”  
  
Not listening to Chirithy, she got to her feet, let out a sigh, and rubbed the back of her head as she descended the stairs to go back to her room and change into warmer clothes. The spirit bounced after her with concern.  
  
Half an hour later, she emerged from her room wearing a white coat with black and red trim and golden accents over red leggings. “You can wait here if you want, Chirithy. Be back in awhile, gonna go see Nascha.”  
  
“Nu-uh, I’m coming,” Chirithy insisted as they plopped onto Michi’s shoulder. The spirit said nothing further, but the gesture calmed Michi.  
  
She immediately regretted it as she stepped outside to see _him_ again.  
  
“I’m starting to think you’re here only to watch me fail spectacularly,” Michi said as coolly as the air around them.  
  
“You’re pretty bad at noticing things. I could care less about you in particular,” Brain answered as he moved his hand away from the door that Michi had opened before he’d gotten to it. “Now if you’ll excuse me.” He moved past her and closed the door behind him as Michi stalked off in a notably worse mood.

* * *

“Knock knock,” the male hummed as he opened the door and was met with the scent of baked goods. “Just moved in and you’re already at it,” he continued as he stepped inside, shrugging off his coat and was met with a very affectionate tackle from Ario’s Chirithy to which he responded with patting the spirit gently. “You seem sad somehow,” he told Chirithy as he looked the cat-like being over.  
  
“It’s not a taste-testing, don’t worry,” Chirithy insisted as their tail wagged from being close to Brain.  
  
“Good, because just once was enough." He shuddered a little from the memory and sighed as he looked over to the kitchen area where Ario was taking out a batch of cupcakes and was looking thoughtfully over them.  
  
“Any particular occasion?” Brain asked as he went over to the chair at the table to watch her, crossing his arms. “Need me to chase her off again?” he continued before being met with a soft tackle from Chirithy.  
  
“You’re being a meanie, Brain,” Chirithy huffed as they made futile attempts to hit the older male. “Let Ario decide.”

* * *

 

Michi entered Luxbucks, though the warmth only barely lifted her mood. She went to the counter and pulled out her Munny pouch. “...medium hot chocolate, extra whipped cream and mocha drizzle. Can I also get a small cup of warm vanilla milk for Chirithy?” she told the Moogle at the counter before handing them her payment. She glanced over down at the machines down past the counter and trotted over. “Nascha, do you have time to listen?”  
  
A young girl with a fluffy, turquoise bob and with a red, rabbit-eared ribbon on her head to help her fringe be more pronounced turned around to face Michi. “Mm, that’s fine. Did you want the hot chocolate to be warmer? You do tend to scald your tongue easily,” she asked in a soft voice, nodding her head at a nearby chair.  
  
“Thanks for remembering. How do you do it? Everyone has such different orders that I’d think it’d be unfathomable to remember specific details,” Michi observed as she took a seat at the end of the counter.  
  
“You’d be surprised at your own memory--it’s something a little scary itself,” Nascha giggled. “What’s going on, though? You usually save your Munny so I don’t see you here as often.”  
  
Michi paused for a second before sighing and interlacing her fingers together. “I think I’m forcing a friendship on someone I met recently.”  
  
Nascha let out a thoughtful hum. “You do tend to do that-I mean, that’s how we ended up being acquainted,” the girl joked to which Michi let out a whine. “You’re a good person though, Michi. Whether you destroyed the campus on person or not, just the fact that you’re using all your missions savings to cover the repair costs little by little is evidence of that.”  
  
Her words brought the hint of a smile to Michi’s face. “You’re too nice, Nascha.”  
  
“Well...there’s also more evidence, though it’s been kind of recent. Since you’re a Wielder and have a Chirithy, have you heard of the Nightmares?” Nascha inquired before she began steaming the milk.  
  
A confused expression crossed Michi’s face before she understood what Nascha was getting at. “So that’s even gotten out to the non-wielders…” she murmured, eyebrows furrowed as she looked to Chirithy with concern.  
  
“You’re nowhere near what they say the Nightmares are,” Nascha told Chirithy as she placed a cup of milk in front of the spirit. “Further proof that Michi has no malicious intent.” She watched as Chirithy picked up the mug, but the milk seemed to disappear despite being nowhere near their mouth. “You’re such odd beings, being able to make objects disappear into a void like that.”  
  
Michi scratched Chirithy’s neck absentmindedly as she watched the turquoise-haired girl resume making her drink. “I wonder if the Foretellers will begin to approach us about this…” she thought out loud. “Just...that girl doesn’t like me, and I think she thinks I’m trying to be her friend because someone told me to. There’s just something curious about her, Nascha, and Master Gula said I should be her friend, and her Chirithy said I should be her friend, but she doesn’t want anything to do with me,” Michi lamented as she laid her head down.  
  
“She’s an interesting kid, yes,” came a new voice that made Michi sit up very quickly and look up in alarm.  
  
“Lady Ava!”  
  
The pink-clad woman took a seat next to Michi and Chirithy as she hummed. “It’s Ario, isn’t it?”  
  
A small noise of acknowledgement came from Michi. “How did you know with all of us keykids to keep up with?”  
  
“She tends to stick to Master Gula a lot and she tends to make deliveries to us, so we see a lot of her,” Ava answered as she rested her chin on a hand, her free hand reaching out to pet Chirithy thoughtfully.  
  
A minute passed with no one talking except for Nascha handing Michi’s and Ava’s drinks out. Michi somehow felt unsettled about Ava-she didn’t seem to be her usual peppy self.  
  
“I know it might feel hopeless, but...I do wish that you’re able to befriend her too. Her right now is probably lashing out for multiple reasons and you’re someone she might be taking it out on.”  
  
Michi looked up at Ava with surprise. “...I’ll try to keep that in mind,” the teenager answered as Ava began walking away, not able to hear the Foreteller whisper a faint “please help her.”  
  
“May your heart be your guiding key,” Ava told Michi before she exited the building.  
  
“There you have it,” Nascha hummed as she watched Michi drink her hot chocolate in a slightly better mood. “You have Lady Ava’s support as well. What else that’s good has happened lately? Other than that crazy spectacle in town the other day with all those Heartless? I’m glad I was able to dream about that nightmare; it told me to get the magic users to fortify the houses in the 1st District.”  
  
“Nascha, you’re amazing in your own right too, with your weird future prediction dreams,” Michi hummed. “Though--I got to see Elrena again! I was so happy because we’re in different Unions, so it’s hard to get ahold of her. How does she not cave in under Aced’s pressure? She’s so strong! Oh, and also, also! I got to see Lauriam too, it’s been so long, and he didn’t seem angry with me, so-”  
  
Nascha hummed as she listened to Michi ramble on, glad to see that she was able to help.

* * *

“Chirithy, I know it’s cold, but what do you think would be good for our latest assignment if we stay in town? I want to see if there’s anything that might need more investigating. I wonder if we can go check on the Dwarves and Snow White soon, or maybe Alice is still wandering around. I kind of want to stick around though.”  
  
“Maybe Agrabah would be a better option, it’s better than this weather,” Chirithy grumbled.  
  
“With that fur coat of yours? Fat chance,” Michi teased as she reached the house again, going inside and closing the door. “I say we plan out the next mission. Lots of Lux to collect, people to visit, special training from Master Gula...I can’t forget my duties as a Wielder,” she hummed as she opened the door to her room. She was surprised as she was hit with a sweet aroma.  
  
“Welcome baaaaaack,” Ario’s Chirithy half-yelled in excitement as they bounced off of Michi’s kitchen table. “She wasn’t sure what flavor you liked, so she made six kinds!”  
  
“...Wait, what?” Michi asked as she padded over to the table once she’d removed her boots. She was met with the sight of six different cupcakes with intricate patterns decorated on them, and one of them even looked like a little rabbit.  
  
Michi’s Chirithy hopped up on the table to look.  
  
“Hi Chirithy.”  
  
“Hi Chirithy.”  
  
Michi’s Chirithy looked at the cupcakes, reaching over a little to poke at one. “But I thought Ario didn’t like Michi! That’s what it seemed,” they said in such a blunt manner that Michi reached over to smack him lightly.  
  
“Doesn’t mean that she’s not nice though,” Ario’s Chirithy stated simply.  
  
“...Chirithy, she basically made Michi fall down stairs! She could have been seriously hurt!”  
  
“But she made cupcakes! Ario only bakes to make people feel better!” came the loud exclamation. “Brain was being a meanie too, I made sure to give him a good tackle. Oooooooh, maybe I can find a new recipe and have Brain taste-test her cakes! She likes making things super perfect and pretty!”  
  
Michi was still looking over the delicate little cupcakes before her head whipped around in shock. “Wait, _Brain_ ?!”  
  
Ario’s Chirithy nodded. “Yup yup. He’s a good big brother, he wants to make sure Ario is always happy. I like happy Ario too, she gives me headpats and fixes my cape for me!”  
  
“...Brain...brother... _what_ ?”  
  
“Not related! Pretend big brother!” Chirithy corrected themself as they turned around to show Michi their cape. “Look, she put a star patch on it! I’m the best Chirithy, I get my own star!”  
  
Still reeling over that Brain was there to see Ario, she picked up a cupcake and took a bite out of it. She forgot any notion of her initial annoyance toward him earlier in the day as she hummed from the taste of strawberries.

* * *

_She found herself watching the Foretellers speak to that black-coated man in a darkly lit room surrounded by books, tables with various items scattered across them, and a large table that looked like it was for meetings. It had been a long time since she'd seen that man--not for a few years, at least. What would things be like if he was still around? The kids would probably have more imaginative ideas that he'd listen to. As she tried to get closer, a cloud of darkness obscured her and pulled her away._  
  
She sat up with a gasp and found Chirithy sitting next to her.  
  
"That must've been some dream. You were tossing and turning like crazy. Michi, close your eyes and try to get some sleep. You wanted to plan out some missions tomorrow, right?" they asked in a soothing tone.  
  
"...yeah. You're cute when you show you care, hehe. Good night, Chirithy," she said softly as she drifted off again.  
  
Chirithy watched her for a bit longer before they hopped off the bed and went to her window. The spirit stared at the visage of another Chirithy.  
  
"Was that you?" Michi's Chirithy asked in a flat tone, the warmth gone.  
  
The other Chirithy tilted its head. "Did you show her the dream? What is it you're trying to do?"  
  
Michi's Chirithy pressed their head against the cool window. "The opposite of what you're doing," they lightly growled upon seeing the smug expression of the other as far as Chirithy went. "Where do you think you get off, trying to latch onto her? I'll stop you from making her continue to suffer."  
  
"Well, I guess that makes us enemies. But you've known that based on your reaction," came the response from the other Chirithy. "After all, her despair is addicting," they continued before disappearing in smoke.  
  
Chirithy remained at the window, visibly disturbed. "...so it was  _your_ fault." They returned back to Michi's side, gently nestling against her body as she wrapped her arms around them in her sleep. "Don't worry, Michi. I'll protect you. I...have to."

 


	8. Chain Links

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Recommended Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2nQ3EHrH8s
> 
> Finally an update~ I wanted to really change gears here for a second and give more attention to the timeline, even without much focus on Michi. If anything, I hope I did Ario some justice! ;w; This is a lot more of how Michi and Ario tie into the story itself; even if Michi is my character, there's a little interesting twist with roles here. 
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! Comments and such are always welcome~

Ava was already in a contemplative mood when Ira summoned them all to the Foreteller’s Chambers the next morning. The more that the conversation carried on, the more she was reminded of the conversation she’d overheard between Nascha and Michi about the Nightmares.  
  
“It’s not me,” Aced stated firmly.  
  
As Gula perched on the edge of the table, he shrugged. “There’s an easy way to solve this. If we all summon our Spirits, then we’ll know.”  
  
Invi sighed. “Unfortunately, there are countless wielders in our Unions. It would be easy for any of us to summon a Chirithy that isn’t a Nightmare. I’m afraid that your suggestion wouldn’t help us get to the bottom of this.”  
  
Ava slammed her hands down on the table as she stood up. “Yeah, in that case, who’s to say that the Nightmare you saw belongs to one of us? It could belong to anyone in our Unions.”   
  
Ira looked down. “That’s highly unlikely. Do you recall the tool the wielders were given in order to make them stronger? We generally don’t concern ourselves with what they have at their disposal. However…” he stood at the end of the table, placing his hands down. “I believe those tools were the Nightmare’s doing.”  
  
Ava tilted her head. “The bangles? I know when they’re equipped, they have the power to collect dark energy, but I thought we all agreed that was okay.”  
  
Ira stood up straight once more. “Collecting is fine, but using that power is the equivalent of using the power of darkness.”  
  
Gula let out a soft sigh--Ava glanced over. “It’s a brilliant plan. Everyone knows that all Spirits look the same, and wielders exist in spades. There’s no way to tell.”  
  
The five of them knew that the bangles had long been equipped by the wielders.  
  
“So what now? How do we find out who’s behind this?” Aced asked-his voice unusually calm.  
  
Ira looked over. “Seeing as those bangles couldn’t have been acquired by just anyone...I believe it’s one of us here in this room.”

* * *

“And it was such an odd dream! It was the master in the black cloak that used to be around a lot--I mean, I don’t know if you remember him, but they were in this room I’ve never seen before and I couldn’t hear their conversation at all! I wonder why I’d dream about them all.”  
  
Ario half-listened with interest as she and Michi walked along the Avenue in the direction of Waterfront Park. She sipped on some hot chocolate that Michi had brought; it might have been a bribe, but Michi knew at this point it was one way to keep Ario around for longer than a minute.  
  
“Maybe you just miss the old Master that much?” Michi’s Chirithy asked in amusement as he rode on top of her head.   
  
“Oh yeah, you did say that the Master created all of you Chirithy. He must have been even more amazing than I remember,” Michi hummed. “Speaking of seeing them all together, I got reminded of the training area too. You know, I’ve seen Nate a fair amount at the training sessions, but it made me wonder, I haven’t heard from Nova in awhile. Since you go more often to see Master Gula, have you seen her around, Ario?” Michi asked as she nibbled on a piece of cinnamon cake. “I’ve been going to the amphitheater often to see if I can find her, but I haven’t.”  
  
Ario’s Chirithy was patting Ario’s bangs down and looking ahead, though said nothing.  
  
“You’ll get used to it,” Ario said in a quiet voice, staring at nothing in particular as she continued walking while Michi slowed her pace a little.  
  
“Get used to...what?”  
  
Ario turned around, silver eyes narrowed in a way that even Michi could tell was questioning. “Are you in denial or just that stupid?” Ario asked as she drank more of the hot chocolate, eyes not leaving Michi to gauge her reaction.  
  
“Ario, be nice,” her Chirithy huffed.  
  
Michi bit her lip. Even though it was slightly warmer than it had been in recent times, her heart seemed to have stopped at that moment.  
  
“Ario...are you just that cold?” she asked slowly, lowering the cinnamon cake back into the bag she had in her other hand.  
  
“You have a mission today, right? Better get to it.” The pink-haired girl ignored Michi’s comment as she began walking in the direction of the park--surely Michi wouldn’t want to go there if she knew Nova wouldn’t be there.  
  
“ _You have to get used to it._ ”

* * *

He swung at some of the Heartless at the center of the Lux-shaped lilypad arrangement in Waterfront Park, heaving a sigh as he turned around to stab at another one that had jumped at him. Why couldn’t they just stop already? The weather was finally turning nice and he just wanted a day to stroll around and eat his lunch without getting ambushed out of nowhere. At least his Chirithy was watching his bag for him.  
  
It was bad since the patrol had just left the area-it was as if the Heartless knew the schedules of the wielders and that shouldn’t have been possible if all they wanted was to go after hearts. This might be something to bring up to Master Ira later…  
  
He whirled around and ducked down to let a Shadow go soaring over him before he stood back up to aim a jab at it-  
  
A pink and gray blur came flying by him to knock the Shadow out of the sky before landing next to him.  
  
“Let’s just clear this mess up. I want to be able to read in peace and these guys aren’t helping,” Ario said as she bounded forward with that incredulous speed from the large-scale raid the other day and slammed a hand into a Neo-Shadow, sending it flying. How was she that strong?  
  
“Guessing you don’t need to use your Keyblade?” he asked as he dodged another of her kicks meant for a Heartless next to him.  
  
He got no answer, though he did see a glimpse of what seemed to be distaste on her face as she grabbed a nearby Neo-Shadow by the throat and shoved it under the water. Somehow, it was menacing to see a small pink-haired teenager in a Chirithy hoodie holding a large Heartless at her mercy and Ephemer knew he probably shouldn’t make her mad.  
  
Once the park was empty, Ephemer looked over at Ario and motioned over to a bench where thankfully, his backpack was left untouched. “Wanna join me for lunch? I’ll, uh...I’ll be quiet so you can read.”  
  
“I like lunch!” Ario’s Chirithy exclaimed cheerily as he reappeared on top of Ephemer’s head.  
  
Ephemer plucked the Spirit from on top of his head and went to the bag, fishing out some food. “You two can go to the Lighthouse and eat this, so you can chat away, all right?” he asked with a beam.  
  
“Hmmmm…okay!” Ario’s Chirithy took the food and disappeared with it, along with Ephemer’s Chirithy. Phew, distraction successful.  
  
Ario wordlessly sat on one end of the bench and brought out a rather large book, setting it on her lap as she held out a hand towards Ephemer.  
  
“Yes?” Ephemer asked in confusion as he looked to her hand nervously, wondering what to do.  
  
“I helped you, so pay me back in food,” she said simply as she turned a page.  
  
Ephemer wordlessly placed a sandwich on her outstretched palm and began to eat his own portion of the food, drawing back a little. Why did he give in so easily all of a sudden? If it was Skuld, usually they bickered about it and made it a competition.   
  
He glanced over to Ario, noticing that she was nibbling at the sandwich he’d given her. She was leaning heavily against the armrest of the bench, looking rather sleepy. Maybe it was because of the Chirithy hoodie? It did look very warm despite it being cooler outside.  
  
“Ephemer?”  
  
Speaking of Skuld, she was probably doing fine as the new leader of the party he recently left. She might be mad at him right now, but there was something he really wanted to investigate and going solo at it was the best way to do so. His eyes were more focused on her hands now. Were those gloves she was wearing actually warm? They looked pretty thin and worn out.  
  
“Ephemer?”  
  
He crammed the rest of his sandwich into his mouth as he continued to think. Why didn’t she want to use her Keyblade to fight? It was definitely good to use her raw strength to fight to quickly dispatch Heartless, but apparently that wasn’t enough to be able to release hearts and gather Lux. Wouldn’t Master Gula have taught her how necessary it is to use her Keyblade? Unless maybe she’d realized the same things as him…  
  
Why were her eyes like mirrors suddenly?  
  
He was startled out of his thoughts by Ario slamming her book shut.   
  
“Ephemer. You’ve been staring and you’ve been fidgety the whole time that you’re shaking this hecking bench. Spit it out,” she said in a bland tone.  
  
“...did you just say what I think you said-”  
  
“Out with it or I’ll keep saying it,” Ario stated, giving him no room to finish.  
  
Ephemer sighed as he leaned farther back against the bench, feet scuffing the ground as he swung his legs.  
  
“I was thinking-”  
  
“You actually think?”  
  
“Let me talk! I don’t think the Lux we’re gathering is from those worlds we’re always visiting. I think it’s for this world.”  
  
Ario stared at him without blinking for a moment before continuing to take small bites of the sandwich. “Gula told me about Lux and how we’re supposed to be collecting it. I mean, that’s basic knowledge even to non-wielders, though he said I have a stronger responsibility now.”  
  
Ephemer blinked in response. “...did you just refer to a Foreteller without a title?”  
  
Ario shrugged. “Gonna continue?”  
  
“O-oh yeah. So, about this theory of mine. I picked up a few things from Lady Ava and I’ve concluded that this world we’re in, containing Daybreak Town, is joined physically to a lot of worlds! Basically, the ones we’ve been going to. But don’t you think it’s impossible for us to travel to those places so far even with our Keyblades? That would require so much power if these lands are that far off. They could even be across the ocean! I thought about how Lady Ava uses illusory magic, so that’s where I picked up some of this! I’ve been trying to find a way to get into the Clock Tower to confirm some things, but I haven’t found a way yet. Therefore, the way we’ve been getting Lux are that these worlds we’re always visiting are-”  
  
Ario held up a hand. “You said you tried to find a way into the Clock Tower?”  
  
Ephemer nodded. “It’s not a matter of security or anything, just that there’s no visible entryway. I wonder what it looks like inside?”  
  
Ario let out a ‘hmm’. “...Michi said she had a dream about it. Wonder if this is all related…” she muttered as she put her book away.  
  
“Michi? Is she off doing missions today? You two are usually inseparable,” Ephemer commented as his legs slowed down, voice a little quiet. “Though, she is pretty loyal to her Union. Master Gula does seem to have a way with intimidating her when need be, even if he doesn’t yell like Master Aced or Master Ira.”  
  
“Gula’s not as intimidating as you think,” Ario muttered as she stood up and took a step forward as if to start walking away.  
  
Ephemer paused for a second. “Hey Ario. I bet if we broke into the Clock Tower, he’d be more shocked than angry,” he told her slowly, gauging her reaction.   
  
“Oh? Who knew you had a rebellious streak?” Ario answered back as she stopped walking and turned back to him. “I think I might know a way in. Failsafe in case their portals didn’t work,” she murmured as she looked down thoughtfully and grabbed her bag. “Do you wanna see it or not?”   
  
Ephemer wondered why Ario seemed to suddenly appear so excited and impatient at once, despite her deadpan expression. Maybe it was her eyes that gave it away.  
  
“Yeah, let’s go,” he said dryly, standing up quickly and looking up at the lighthouse. “Chirithy, we’re going!” he called out as he followed Ario.  
  
Ephemer’s Chirithy looked to Ario’s Chirithy, then disappeared in a poof of smoke. Ario’s Chirithy made to do the same before pausing.  
  
“Why did you pull Michi from that dream? I heard from her Chirithy,” they said to no one in particular. A few seconds later, another Chirithy appeared.  
  
“Did I?” asked the new arrival.  
  
Ario’s Chirithy turned around, clutching at their cape. “...why is your fur so dark? It was the same color as mine before,” they said sadly.  
  
“Mm, so you noticed that. What are you going to do? They’ll end up finding out a lot of secrets if they keep going. Are you okay with it?”  
  
The other Chirithy disappeared again while Ario’s Chirithy sighed and disappeared as well to return to the pink-haired girl.  
  
“Should we stop by the Marketplace for an afternoon snack?” Ephemer asked, looking at Ario again. The subtle change in her expression was telling to the point that he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Alright, we’ll get it. It’s on me since you’re taking us to the Clock Tower.”  
  
Once the scent of food reached their noses, the white-haired boy let out a sigh. “I forgot how far away the Clock Tower is from Waterfront Park. It looks so far from here…”  
  
“Mm, it’s not too bad,” Ario shrugged as she wandered close to a stall that was selling freshly baked cookies.  
  
Once Ephemer bought some, he handed the parcel over to her. He smiled as Ario let out a content hum as she reached in and pulled out one--even though it was piping hot, she took a considerable bite from it.   
  
“Should we keep going?” he asked as he broke off a piece of his own and tossed it in his mouth.  
  
“Ephemeeeeer!” called a voice that made Ario heave a notable sigh.   
  
“There goes my peace and quiet again,” Ario lamented.  
  
“Hey! Are you done with your mission for the day?” Ephemer asked as Michi approached, not noticing her slowing down upon noticing that Ario was there.  
  
“...Mm. It was just a small delivery today, nothing strenuous,” Michi shrugged. “Those are good breaks to have. What are you two up to?”  
  
“You’re coming with us,” Ephemer said as he grabbed Michi’s wrist, pulling her along as he continued eating the cookies.   
  
“Wait, what?” Michi and Ario said in unison as they continued past the Marketplace and toward the Fountain, the former more confused than the latter.  
  
“Do we haaaaave to?” Ario asked Ephemer with furrowed eyebrows.  
  
“Well yeah!” Ephemer said cheerily. “The more the merrier on this adventure!”  
  
Ario let out a groan. “I don’t want to be merry though.” Her attempt at a convincing voice didn’t seem to work against his enthusiasm. Really, the two in front of her were idiots. Why did he drag Michi along so incessantly even though he was surely aware Michi was on thin ice with the Masters? Unless…  
  
“...It’s this way,” Ario murmured as she pointed toward the river running through the town. “It’s gonna get a little wet. Also, we might be fighting, but I’ll need you to keep it down or else they’ll hear us.”

* * *

Michi let out a yelp as she dove out of the way of an enormous cog that fell down where she’d been moments before.  
  
“I _told_ you to keep it down!” Ario hissed.  
  
“Not my fault that Ephemer slammed that Invisible right into the wall!” Michi responded quickly, pushing herself up and brushing her pants off.   
  
“Michi, make a run for it in case the Masters show up!” Ephemer nudged her in the direction they came from. “You’re the one who’d get the most in trouble if they caught us all down here, and I sorta dragged you along on impulse-”  
  
“ _Now_ you realize it,” Ario groaned.  
  
“Catch up with you two later,” Mihi called as she tapped the ground lightly with her Keyblade to let green notes hit her, and she sped off.  
  
Ario sighed and went over to the giant cog, prodding at it. “I could break it,” she offered.   
  
Ephemer shook his head, walking over to Ario. “Actually, this might be a good time to just stop here. We took a long time because of those Heartless and this cog might be too indicative that someone was here. We should check back later to make sure we’re in the clear.”  
  
Ario turned to look at him. “You’re taking away the fun part,” she shrugged.  
  
Ephemer rubbed the back of his head. “Destroying things? Sounds like the advanced class back during school,” he laughed. “I vaguely remember Moogle being thrown out the window in some crazy looking armor.”  
  
The girl let out a hum. “...fun times. But...what about this? When do we come back?” she asked as they began walking back at a fast pace.  
  
“How about tomorrow? Let’s meet up at the fountain!” Ephemer responded cheerily. “Does noon sound good? Come on Ario, let’s do it! It can just be the two of us if Michi’s occupied with missions too,” he offered.  
  
“Considering she made it noisy, it’s probably the better option,” Ario shrugged as they climbed the ladder that led up to the surface. “It did get pretty late. They’d notice if we were gone, so good call, really.”  
  
“Is that a yes then?” Ephemer asked as he held out a hand to pull her up, but she ignored it and got out herself.  
  
“Sure, sure,” she answered, glancing away from Ephemer’s wide smile.  
  
“It’s a promise then!”  
  
He waved as she let out a small _hmph_ and leapt onto a nearby roof--the sight still astounded him. She was really something else. Now in a good mood in order to look forward to tomorrow, he made his way back to the housing district. There was even a skip in his step; he could barely feel the slight chill of the early spring weather.  
  
“Oh? Lady Ava?”  
  
His attention was drawn by the sight of the Foreteller sitting precariously at the end of the Fountain. She seemed to be sulking.  
  
“Lady Ava, it’s not like you to be so quiet,” he said as he approached her and took a seat next to her. “Could you tell me more about the Book of Prophecies?” he asked innocently.  
  
“Absolutely not,” Ava responded suddenly, seemingly startled which prompted a laugh from Ephemer.  
  
“You just reminded me of a friend,” Ephemer chortled, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
“Surprised you don’t have a scarf or anything,” Ava commented before she sighed. “You’re just trying to warm me up since I’m the most approachable out of the Foretellers,” she insisted. “Was it Michi?” she asked after a few moments.  
  
“Hm? No no, it was someone else. Promised her that we’d meet up tomorrow,” Ephemer hummed, scratching his cheek lightly. “I mean, I guess we’re friends? I dunno, Lady Ava. She’s interesting. I think she’s a Leopardus member--that’s what I’ve heard?”  
  
The Foreteller smiled. “I’m glad that you’re able to make friends outside of your Union. You should get to sleep soon though, before curfew hits.”  
  
“Mm, gotcha. I’ll get that information from you sometime!” Ephemer stood up and started walking away.  
  
“Actually, Ephemer,” Ava called before he was out of earshot.  
  
“Yes?”  
  
Ava pointed to a large cliffside. “Meet me there in three hours.”  
  
“...what is it with you all and rule-breaking?” Ephemer asked with a laugh. “Guess I get to hear some secrets, finally!”  
  
Once he was gone, Ava clasped her hands together.  
  
“At least you kids who aren’t inherently tied to a Union can be the light I’m looking for."

* * *

  
“Ario, you’re in a good mood,” Chirithy squealed as they bounced on her bed. “That’s such a big lunch you’re making. Is it a daaaaate?”  
  
“...not a date,” Ario murmured as she sampled a bite of the macaroni and cheese she made, nodding approvingly. Neither Brain nor Michi would believe the incredulous smile on her face at the prospect of the next day.


	9. Timeless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Recommended Listening: http://youtu.be/76qRF5-qvZM
> 
> Finally got around to writing this up! 
> 
> Ephemer, how could you-
> 
> Comments and reviews are always welcome :> <3

She gazed far across the town from her rooftop perch, gently stroking her Chirithy’s head.  
  
“...Chirithy, it’s her again,” the girl said softly, watching the familiar sight of a figure bounding across rooftops. She squeezed the spirit closer to her as a sigh escaped her.  
  
She’d spent the better part of two years watching this sight most mornings if she didn’t have a mission. Usually the jumping figure had been wearing the customary uniform of the Moogle Delivery Service. The two had never actually met, to her knowledge.  
  
Today, that other girl didn’t seem to be doing work. Maybe it was a rare day off? Surely she’d want to sleep since she was always busy, right? Wasn’t she tired always jumping around?  
  
The girl upon the rooftop let out a squeak upon realizing that the girl was coming closer to her location. She froze like a deer in the headlights, squeezing Chirithy a little tighter than she meant to. The girl only resumed breathing when the other girl finally stopped at the fountain. Turquoise eyes viewed a flash of exhilaration on the other girl’s face; this was extremely rare.   
  
“That looks good,” the Chirithy remarked as she saw the pink-haired girl reach into her satchel and brought out a large container of food that was decorated with teddy bears. Teddy bears reminded her of her Union Leader, after all, and to see that such a tough girl liked cute things was even more adorable to know. Who was the lucky person that was getting to eat that amazing looking lunch? She might have even felt a little jealous, but it was okay-she could at least have dinner with Lauriam at home.  
  
It would probably be that time now. Strelitzia reached into her own bag and pulled out a sandwich wrapped delicately in a handkerchief. After unwrapping it, she pulled the top slice of bread off and her face paled.   
  
“...He mixed peppers in with the scrambled eggs again…” she huffed, pulling it off and handing it to Chirithy.  
  
“You should be trying to eat better,” Chirithy chided as they took it and held the slowly disappearing egg.  
  
Strelitzia pointed down at the lunch set up by the fountain now. “An entire plate of macaroni and cheese isn’t healthy and she’s fine!” she shot back as she huffed and shoved her sandwich in her mouth, eyebrows furrowed as she tasted the remnants of peppers.   
  
The sun moved across the sky and Strelitzia left and returned a few times to the rooftop a few times throughout the day.  
  
“Strelitzia...she hasn’t moved nor has she even touched her food,” her Chirithy said as the sun began to hide behind buildings as they tugged on one of her flowy sleeves, but the girl didn’t budge initially.  
  
“...I’ve...been wanting to talk to her. Chirithy, she looks like…” Strelitzia frowned.   
  
“She’s going though the five stages of grief?”  
  
Strelitzia nodded, stretching and making to get up. “It looks like whoever she was waiting for...didn’t come.”  
  
Before she could stand up all the way though, another figure approached the girl. The new person was someone that Strelitzia was vaguely familiar with, if only because of Elrena and her brother.

* * *

Michi was initially unsure of what to say nor was she going to point out how puffy Ario’s eyes were, but sat next to her.   
  
“It’s getting close to curfew and you weren’t in your room either. Chirithy said you were here.”  
  
Ario said nothing as she remained leaned over with her arms supporting her as they rested on her lap.  
  
Michi closed her eyes and tried to look at Ario. Still nothing. Maybe she needed her Keyblade to amplify that odd sensation of being able to see those vibrations that made her want to sing.  
  
“Let’s go back, okay?”  
  
Michi watched as Ario slowly reached over to the unopened container of macaroni and cheese, her hand hovering over it for a few seconds. The instant she touched it, the container shattered and the food was scattered in the fountain and on the ground. After a small yelp and a few seconds of calming down, Michi stood up and began picking up plastic pieces wherever she could find them, trying to get as much as she could cleaned up before the sun completely set. When all was said and done, she glanced around before sticking her hands in the fountain to clean them off of cheese and gravel.  
  
“Let’s go?” she asked Ario while holding her hand out, who finally stood up and loosely reached over and took Michi’s hand.   
  
Although Ario looked more exhausted than before, there was an odd pulsation that Michi could feel through their hands. Magic, maybe? It wasn’t quite the same magic that Michi knew pulsed through Elrena when she was using her own magic.  
  
She could think about that later. Right now it was imperative they get home before the residential area Moogle began yelling at her for cutting it too close.

* * *

“We’re back,” Michi announced softly as she closed the door to Ario’s room, leading her gently to the bed and sitting her down before standing back up herself. She wasn’t sure if it would help, but she’d always seen Lady Invi doing this with some of the other kids.  
  
“Where was she?” came a voice that made Michi exhale loudly.  
  
“Fountain. And where were you all day?” she asked without looking.  
  
“Missions,” Brain answered as he moved over to the bed and poked the slumped over Ario. “I had to come confiscate some things after this little one let me know what was going on,” he continued, lightly kicking a bag at his side and causing some bottles to clank.  
  
Ario perked up then, making a beeline for them before Brain scooped her up.  
  
“Nuh-nuh-nuh, young lady, you are _not_ going to indulge in a sugar-induced carbonation coma,” he chided as he snapped his fingers. His own Chirithy appeared, grabbed the bag, and poofed away with them.  
  
“Gimme my root beer-” Ario grumbled before she was set back down on the bed and just laid down on her side, turning away from the other two as she scooted closer to the window.  
  
“Want something to eat? You haven’t had anything for awhile,” Michi muttered as she heard Ario’s stomach growl.  
  
There was no response from Ario but a snuffle.  
  
Ario’s Chirithy hopped over to Michi and tugged on her pants. “Psst, Michi. She likes mac n’ cheese,” the spirit told her as they climbed up her leg. “Certain way though, gotta be suuuuper specific!”  
  
“...mm, I can see that.” Michi nodded. “Chirithy!” she called out, holding out her arms and waiting for her own Chirithy to appear so she could catch him. Much to her chagrin, he appeared high above her head and fell on top of her. She swayed on the spot, making Chirithy grab onto her ponytail in order to not fall.  
  
“Chirithy-- _ow_ \--leggo, you hecker-”  
  
“Language!” her Chirithy huffed as they slid down her ponytail and landed on the floor. “What is it?”  
  
“Can you keep Ario and Brain company while I make food?” Michi asked, reaching down and picking the Chirithy up to put him on the bed.  
  
“You didn’t even ask-” the cat-like spirit said as they were suddenly grabbed like a plush toy.   
  
“I can make it,” Brain insisted before Michi shot him a look.  
  
“She might prefer you be next to her than me, right?”  
  
He blinked in surprise, then nodded shortly. “Finally something smart coming from you.”   
  
Michi snorted and went to the kitchen area, not noticing her Chirithy stiffen up at the sight of Ario’s teddy bear.  
  
“Kay, so! First thing you gotta do is boil the water at this temat---tempra--” Ario’s Chirithy quieted down for a second, looking thoughtful.  
  
Ario’s Chirithy certainly was a lot more child-like than other Chirithy she knew as they prattled on about the specifics of how picky Ario was and how much cheese to use; there was a spoon she liked that had a Moogle design etched on the handle that Michi should give to her; Ario could probably eat two people’s worth of servings and maybe needed it.  
  
As Michi checked on the pasta’s firmness, she looked over to Chirithy with furrowed brows. “Why didn’t you get Master Gula instead? Ario and Master Gula are pretty close,” Michi observed, even outside of training sessions. “Kind of like...how would you describe it?”  
  
“A dad!” Chirithy bubbled as they raised their arms in the air (as much as a Chirithy could, really). “Like my dad too, ‘cause I like to go in high places like thiiiiis!” They disappeared in smoke and reappeared on top of the kitchen cabinet. “Catch me!”  
  
“Chirithy, we’re in the kitchen, don’t play like that!” Michi squealed as she caught Chirithy. “Help me finish this food so Ario can eat.”  
  
Once Michi was done, she rummaged in the cabinet for a few bowls, amazed by how many there were if it was just Ario alone, and started getting the food ready for her. Michi would have to settle for giving any sort of portion she would have gotten to Ario instead. She did recall Lady Ava’s words of trying to be gentle with Ario. Something about lashing out?   
  
Michi had tried her best not to do that after the Academy destruction, so probably Ario couldn’t control her own behavior.  
  
“Ario, why were you waiting by the Fountain? You’re usually working,” Michi asked finally. “You had a lot of food. Maybe Master Gula or Lady Ava?”  
  
Ario’s Chirithy huffed as they puffed their chest out. “I couldn’t get ahold of Ephemer’s Chirithy!”  
  
“Wait, _what_ ?!”   
  
Michi whirled around to look at Ario incredulously. “Everything was fine yesterday, I think! Did you two actually get in trouble after I left? Do you think he got caught or something?!”  
  
“ _Now_ what was she doing?” Brain asked as he turned slowly to Ario, who curled up tighter. “Don’t you cling to Detah more, I am talking to you-” he started before he was whacked with the teddy bear he mentioned.  
  
“Time-out!” Ario’s Chirithy screeched, causing Michi and Brain to slam their hands over their ears and Michi’s Chirithy to faceplant into the nearest wall. “Ario wanna sleeps!”  
  
The two teenagers looked to each other and sighed. “Fill me in later,” Brain told Michi, crossing his arms.  
  
“Deal. Alright, we’re going back to our room. Chirithy, let us know if there’s anything we need to do,” the older teenager said after she put the macaroni and cheese on the nightstand by the bed. She reached over past Ario to pluck her own Chirithy from Ario’s arms. A frown appeared on her face when she felt them shivering, but said nothing.   
  
“Okaaaay! Good night Michi!” Ario’s Chirithy said as they bounded to Ario.

* * *

 _She was back in the Underground Waterway, facing Ephemer._  
  
_“Ephemer, you owe her an apology,” Michi growled as she pressed her forehead against his roughly, glaring into his eyes as she pressured him against the giant cog that had fallen. “She’s so sad. If I could hear her song, it’d probably be lonely.”_  
  
_He glanced down toward the water. “There’s...something I have to do, something I was tasked with. I’ll be back, pr-”_  
  
_“Don’t say it if you can’t keep it. Prove it instead.”_  
  
_There was silence between them as he looked to her._  
  
_“Got it.”_  
  
While she slept that night, her Chirithy watched as dandelions wafted outside.


	10. Coping and Determination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Recommended Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP4NW-N4k_M
> 
> Sorry it's been so long since an update! Partly because of work (barista things), my wrists have been hurting so I don't want to overwork and ruin them. I might see about just doing text-to-speech and going intense on the grammar correction, haha~ Also, I took a two week vacation from work so I'm visiting my family and I got a decent amount of my writing done at the airport!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! <3

Michi didn't expect to be splashed by water, nor to find Lauriam laying in the Fountain and being the cause of said splash.  
  
"...Lauriam?!"  
  
She leaned over and grabbed his arm to pull him into a sitting position. "Wha- _how_ -" she asked, thoroughly confused. Was she hallucinating or dreaming?   
  
He reached over with his free arm and rubbed his temples with his fingertips, wincing. "Why is she so stubborn?" he asked as he stood up, stepping out of the Fountain with Michi's help. He sighed and summoned his Keyblade, muttering a "Fira" and allowing the heat to dry them both up. With his hair flattened down and sticking to his neck, Michi thought he looked like an entirely different person.  
  
"Lauriam? Are you alright?"  
  
He looked over at her with his eyes slightly off-focus. "...come here often?" he asked before getting a flick to the forehead.  
  
"You're definitely concussed," Michi sighed as she looked at him before frowning. "We may as well walk around to try and get you functional again. Come on," she muttered as she stood up and waited for him. He paused before looking at her with a slightly confused look, though he shook his head again and got up to walk with her.  
  
"It's noon, so...maybe food sounds good?" Lauriam suggested nonchalantly.  
  
"How can you even think about food when you literally came crashing out of the sky like that?! There's not a Heartless in town or anything, right?"  
  
Lauriam shook his head as he closed his eyes for a second, rubbing his temples. "It was Ario."  
  
Silence fell between the two.  
  
"...Ario threw you?"  
  
"If you need evidence, do you remember how she handled the Heartless back during that huge invasion?"  
  
He had a point; how did such a small girl end up throwing Large Body Heartless around like they were dog toys?  
  
"How did that lead to you being thrown though? And is she nearby? Where did you get thrown from?"  
  
Lauriam shrugged half-heartedly. "Was going to her room. Actually, I was looking for you, but I can't remember why. Head feels fuzzy."  
  
She missed a step while walking and almost tripped. "Wait,  _me_? Lauriam, what could even warrant a visit?" she asked incredulously, staring at him. "Even considering that you were in a stable state of mind is even harder to believe," she continued as they approached the marketplace. "Come on, let's get food while you try to remember what was even happening."  
  
It was hard to believe that not that long ago, the bustling Marketplace right now had been swarming with varying Heartless. It was thanks to Ephemer rallying everyone that the town wasn't completely overtaken before the Foretellers could come to assist everyone. Speaking of Ephemer...  
  
"She's been in a...very delicate mood," Michi offered as they got their food. She already knew that there were other former students around, and she was unfortunately all too aware that being seen with Lauriam of all people was going to have people talking. Really, they should know better, but sometimes she knew things like this were out of her control.  
  
"Hm...let's keep walking. We can head back to her room to check on her then," he suggested, and Michi had no room to say no before he began walking in the direction of the wielder's housing district while taking a bite of his sandwich.  
  
"You haven't even said why you were looking for me though," Michi asked as she walked with him, her pace faster to make up for their stride difference.  
  
Once they were away from the noisier part of the market district, Lauriam looked at her while he crumpled up the paper he'd gotten the sandwich in. "Let's check on her first and then I'll tell you."  
  
Michi huffed; why was he being so secretive all of a sudden? Though the concern he had for Ario was a point of him that she knew she'd seen in school-he'd always wanted to check in on the younger students. 

* * *

  
"Ario? Chirithy?" Michi asked as she knocked the door.  
  
The door opened and a small  _thud_ was heard as Ario's Chirithy rolled to the side where Lauriam and Michi could see them.  
  
"She's sleepies," the spirit said as they let the new arrivals in. "Throwing Lauriam took a lot of energy out of her."  
  
"Told you," Lauriam sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "It's scary how she got me to land in the Fountain of all places."  
  
"She used to use Marsh and Mallow and Moogle and I as practice!" Chirithy bubbled as they bounced over to the sleeping Ario before looking and Michi and beckoning her down. "Can you make her more macaroni and cheeeeeese?" they whispered loudly to her when she bent down to see them.  
  
"That's fair," Michi nodded. "Lauriam, want me to come show you how to make this?" Michi started before pausing. "...Well wait, are you feeling better?"  
  
The pink-haired male nodded. "It's all fine now, but do you think she'll trust me if I help in making her food? I think she's pretty mad at me."  
  
Chirithy jumped on top of Lauriam's head and began drumming it. "Nah, she's not mad. You might be out cold right now if she was," the spirit said nonchalantly.  
  
The two older wielders looked at each other as if assessing Chirithy's words. "Based on what happened...yeah," Michi agreed before she went to find the pot she'd used before. "Also, where's Brain today? Missions again? I feel like he'd walk in at any given moment if he knew we were here," Michi grumbled, not noticing Lauriam's raised eyebrow.  
  
"Brain? You mean from the next door class?" he asked as he went to rummage in the fridge for the cheese upon Chirithy's request.  
  
Michi began filling the pot with water and sprinkled some salt in it, eyeing the sprinkles as if intensifying her own feelings about Brain. "So it turns out that he's like an older brother figure to Ario," she started, "and I mean...he and I don't exactly see eye-to-eye."  
  
"There it is," Lauriam said as he set the assortment of cheese on the counter and looked at Michi. "Finally an outward sign from you about what I was actually going to look for you earlier for."  
  
Oh yeah, he did say he'd tell her when they'd checked on Ario. Not that she'd expect she'd be making Ario's food again today; but she wondered how close Ario and Ephemer must have been for her to still be in this slump.  
  
"What do you mean,  _outward sign_?" she asked after she watched Lauriam stir the pasta.   
  
"I guess I should recount from the beginning," he answered.

* * *

 _"Elrena, I think this area's clear. Let's head toward the 7th District and see if they need help out there," Lauriam said as he wrung his wrists around. "Didn't expect there to be this many in just this one area."_  
  
_"I can clear a path with my magic; it feels like stronger. Whatever's going on with Michi's odd Keyblade seems to give a buff of sorts."_  
  
_Lauriam paused before nodding. "I feel lighter on my feet anyhow. I'll scout ahead and let you know if you need to prepare," he said before getting a nod of acknowledgement. With nimble movements, he bounded on ahead, surprised at how fast he'd felt. But also, when did Michi stop using Divine Rose? He hadn't gotten to keep up with a lot of his old classmates after graduation, and Michi especially considering how her punishment was being held back a year rather than be expelled._  
  
_He'd heard all the rumors about her back then, and also how Elrena backed her up with absolute solidarity that even he had been moved. Not that he didn't think Michi would do something like intentionally sabotage something so dangerous--why was the next door class experimenting with storm magic anyways? Sure, she'd always been curious about the class; they were loud and distracting enough next door that he couldn't study during class and he remembered she'd gotten scolded by Moogle a few times for trying to sneak out of the classroom to go investigate. Even then, that was just curiosity over malice._  
  
_As he stopped in an area full of wielders, he saw Lady Ava suddenly appear from a portal and a wave of relief washed over him as she began dispatching many of the stronger Heartless._  
  
_"Oh...looks like we'll be fine after all!" Elrena exclaimed as she arrived finally, but Lauriam noticed she was scowling._  
  
_"Upset you don't get to show off?" he mused._  
  
_"No, it's not that...seems like news about Michi's Keyblade is spreading the more she's helping out," she said as she aimed her Keyblade at an oncoming horde of Shadows. As the Thundaga hit them, she looked forlorn. "They're not all good rumors."_

* * *

Michi began straining the pasta and looked to Chirithy for a reminder on how much cheese to add. "Ah...yeah, it was all I could do to not completely fall into disarray, you know? You know how it is with us older kids, Lauriam; we do dumb things when we're younger, so we know how they're going to act," she said simply as she made sure the water was drained entirely. "There's not much I can do to stop anyone from saying whatever they want. I can only tell the truth of what happened and leave it at that. No point in wasting my energy dispelling rumors."  
  
It had been Michi's inability to lie and Elrena's blatant honesty that led them to somehow become best friends, at any rate.  
  
"...you're taking a very mature approach to all of it," Lauriam said after some time contemplating her words, fanning away some of the steam. "I just wonder what the younger kids think of how you'd neither confirm nor deny what they say. If anything, they're acknowledging you but not in a positive light. Aren't you worried those words will find their way to the Foretellers?"  
  
Michi let out a small laugh. "Oh, they know, it's fine. Lady Invi found me when I got this," Michi answered as she stepped back and held out her arm to summon her Keyblade. "...though I still don't know much about it. I bet everyone was saying things along the lines of the already-destructive girl getting a shiny, mysterious Keyblade. I figured they won't ever want to trust me after that, which is why I'm glad that the Foretellers are helping to train me personally. Apparently this is happening with a lot of other Keykids too," she remarked as she traced a finger along the black ribbon before letting it dissipate into the air.  
  
Lauriam let out a thoughtful hum as he added the cheese in, watching Chirithy for guidance. "Just one more thing, Michi, and I'll get off the case for a bit. You're really okay with them not trusting you?"  
  
Michi had been reaching for a bowl from the cabinet before she stopped just short of it and looked at him. She wondered what her expression was like to see his looking concerned. "Lauriam...I'm not okay with it at all. Look, maybe...maybe once things settle down a bit, once I can master this Keyblade...I'll try to do something about the rumors. I don't want it to be like before where everything's happening at once and things get convoluted and into disarray. It was a lot to handle and I don't want to keep bothering the Foretellers more than I already am. I'm already convinced that Masters Ira and Aced have completely lost faith in me at this point. Maybe some miracle will be enough to get us to interact in a better light again."  
  
She reached up for the bowl again before she saw Lauriam's hand go for them first, then felt a hand pet her head. She froze momentarily before looking at him in confusion.  
  
"O-oh no, sorry, habit-" he stammered, quickly looking away. "The tone you had reminded me of my sister for a second."  
  
"Wait, sister...?" Michi asked, tilting her head.  
  
"I thought Elrena may have mentioned her before, they're apparently in the same party. You two usually correspond by Moogle Mail, right?" he asked when he poked a piece of the food towards Chirithy for approval.  
  
"Mm...yeah, though it's been tricky as of late because you noticed that the missions are piling on more and more, right? That huge infestation was the first time I'd actually _seen_ Elrena in awhile."  
  
"Tastes good!" Chirithy babbled as they hopped off the counter and into Michi's arms.  
  
Lauriam looked between the food and Chirithy. "Well...should we leave this here? Doesn't seem she's awake-"  
  
"Who said I wasn't?"  
  
Michi and Lauriam froze and both turned their heads slowly to see a very disgruntled, bleary-eyed Ario.  
  
"How many more people will break into my room when I'm just trying to sleep?" she grumbled before her Chirithy waved a paw in the air excitedly.  
  
"I let them in!" they exclaimed happily, and even Michi could feel the spirit go limp in her arms as Ario turned her gaze to Chirithy.  
  
"Even after I threw you out to go find her," Ario started.  
  
"With a good eye, he found her instantly!" Chirithy remarked.  
  
"Chirithy, I am _trying_ to be serious here," Ario growled, sitting up and teetering where she remained.  
   
"Can't be serious if you're hungry! I showed them how to make your foooood," Chirithy exclaimed as they poofed from Michi's arms and appeared next to her. "You gots-ta get out of beds and shower and there's foods too," they began to ramble.  
  
"...I guess this is our cue to go?" Michi asked Lauriam quietly.  
  
The door slammed open. "Not so fast, I might need to borrow you," came Brain's voice and Michi's groan.  
  
"Why must you be so wishy-washy over having me around?" Michi asked as she rolled her eyes. "And there he goes ignoring me as if I don't exist," she added as she crossed her arms and watched Brain stride over to Ario to flick her on the forehead. She saw him whisper something to her that she couldn't catch, but Ario's cold stare suddenly looked a little hurt.  
  
"Brain...long time no see?" Lauriam asked as he blinked from the sudden barge-in. Brain turned around in momentary confusion before looking at Lauriam. "Didn't expect you of all people to be here. I'd ask for details, but this sad little excuse of a sister is in dire need of some self-care routines that she's been neglecting," he said as he brushed some of his charcoal-colored hair from his face before turning back to Ario. "Now get up and at least try to get some semblance of your life together, alright?"  
  
Ario stared up at him with a blank expression before she grumbled a "you're lucky I used up my energy" and got out of bed.  
  
The three and Chirithy watched Ario slink off to the bathroom and Michi winced when the door slammed shut. Brain finally turned to them and sighed. "I don't know how filled in you are on the situation at all nor do I know how you and her are connected, but I also still need to be filled in on what exactly happened to potentially cause this," he said as he sat on her bed, one leg crossed over the other and arms still folded, looking at Michi expectantly.  
  
Michi sighed and leaned against the counter. "Well, the gist of what I know is that after she, Ephemer, and I tried to sneak into the Clock Tower the other day-"  
  
"Wait, you tried to sneak into the Clock Tower?" Brain asked, raising an eyebrow. "She said she already knows a different way in, but then again...I think it's a way only she and someone else could have gotten in. Continue," he remarked as he waved a hand dismissively.  
  
Oh, he was definitely irritating with his mannerisms. "As I said, we tried to sneak into the Clock Tower, and it was getting late and we dropped a huge cog underneath so it wasn't the safest for us and they told me to get out first in case I was caught since, you know, I'm not on the best of terms with the Foretellers," Michi laughed with a hollow tone. "I don't know what happened after that, but apparently Ephemer and Ario had _supposedly_ planned to meet up--I'm guessing because she made a lot of food and Chirithy came to get me saying she'd been waiting at the Fountain almost the entire day that curfew was coming up and she still wasn't back and you weren't around. Of course I got back here and Chirithy showed me how to make the food again, and after that is when you got back."  
  
"Ephemer? He's the kid that got the word out about the town invasion before, right? Unicornis member, he was in the class below ours, if I recall," Lauriam remarked. "He doesn't seem the type to do something like that..."  
  
Michi shook her head. "I would think so too, but something felt weird. He like...showed up in a dream and he said he had something he had to do, something that prevented him from meeting her."  
  
"She's really mad at him but also sad that he broke a promise," Chirithy remarked sadly and everyone looked at the cat-like spirit.  
  
Brain's expression was unreadable save for him chewing on his lower lip before he let it go and sighed. "Guess I got that picture now. What about you though? How'd you end up here?" he asked Lauriam.  
  
"Oh me? Mm...I already told Michi why I was going to find her, but my problem before was _where_ to find her because she wasn't in her room, I'd knocked earlier-and by the way, Elrena told me where you lived at, just so that's cleared up," he told Michi with a wave of his hands as if to plead innocent, "and I came to see Ario because it seemed the two were close? As much as I hate to pry into rumors, sometimes they just find their way around. So I came here..." he paused, putting a hand to his head and glancing away for a second.  
  
"I can say it!" Chirithy babbled before Lauriam could react. The spirit poofed from Michi's arms as Lauriam made a flail and tried to reach over. "Oops, don't crash into her," Chirithy bubbled as Lauriam swung his body out of the way before he could collide with her. "Kay so, Bubblegum comes in and he asks, 'So Ario, I see you and Michi together a lot, you wouldn't happen to know where she's at, right?' So then she waits and then lets him in and shows him the window and she's pointing at the Fountain, and then he asks 'where' after she opens the window and then she throooooows him right to the Fountain! And then she told me that he's a stick and she closed the window and went back to sleepies!"  
  
Brain and Michi looked at Lauriam, who was on the floor from narrowly avoiding crashing on Michi, his cheeks tinged the same color as his hair.  
  
"'Bubblegum'? I can see it," Brain snorted. "At any rate-"  
  
He didn't get to finish his sentence as the door opened and Ario came out, definitely looking cleaner. Brain, however, still glared at her.  
  
"You get back in there and wash your hair."  
  
Ario shook her head. "Too much of a chore," she muttered.  
  
Brain looked at Michi. "This is what I needed you for. Go help her, she's hopeless with her own hair," he grumbled.  
  
"Wait, why me?! Aside from that I'm the only girl here," Michi exclaimed, looking between Brain and Ario and Chirithy.  
  
Ario opened her mouth to speak, only to shut it as soon as she heard Brain's next comment.  
  
"I'll tell Lady Invi."  
  
The next thing Michi registered, aside from Brain talking to Lauriam, was Ario grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her into the bathroom hurriedly. Did Ario really feel threatened by Brain saying he'd get a _Foreteller_ to get onto her? It made sense considering Invi was good with kids, but also...a Foreteller.  
  
Michi grabbed the shower hose and tested the water's temperature as Ario placed her head over the bathtub with a towel around her neck. "Don't mind if it's cooler, right? Colder water is better for the oils in your hair," she asked. When she got a half-hearted shrug from Ario, she went and began to wet her hair, wincing from just how matted and unruly it was. She would have thought it'd be better to cut it off, but it was already cut so short. Cut wasn't the right word for it...it seemed like the ends had been dealt with some other way, but she couldn't quite place it. Michi looked over for the shampoo and began to work it in, being careful not to accidentally pull her hair or to tangle it in entirely. She rinsed once, worked more shampoo in, and rinsed again. She did this until there was a copious amount of pristine white bubbles and made sure to rinse carefully, staring a little as Ario's hair definitely looked lighter. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but was there a very faint trace of blonde on the frayed ends? She shook her head and smoothed the conditioner in, using a finger to try and not tangle anything further, before rinsing it all out.  
  
"'Kay, all done. Now he should stop nagging!"  
  
Ario let out a grunt as she stood up, taking the towel that Michi brought over and wrapping it around her hair before the two walked out.  
  
"Alright, next step! Ario, you're getting that taken care of by our resident hair care expert," Brain announced before they could even get a word in, and Michi saw Brain with a large blanket in hand while Lauriam had an oddly determined look in his eyes and a hairbrush in hand.  


* * *

One hour later, Michi was wrapping a large gauze bandage around one of Lauriam's arms while his other hand brushed Ario's hair. Brain was feeding Ario the macaroni and cheese, looking proud of himself, while Ario was wrapped in the large blanket with nothing short of a glare on her face despite accepting the food from Brain.  
  
"Did it look infected?" Lauriam asked Michi quietly before Ario bucked her head backward and shoved him down. "Argh-please hold still, I'm almost done! I've never seen a case this bad," he huffed. "My sister's _almost_ got to this point. It's only because I trust that she'll take care of her hair that I let it get so long! She's like the ideal image of her name," he hummed before he set to detangling more of Ario's hair.  
  
"If I recall, Strelitzia?" Brain asked as he looked over to Lauriam. "Ursus member who apparently was known for suplexing _somebody_ because there were unwarranted advances being made on her?" he asked, and the look he gave Ario didn't go unnoticed--it looked challenging.  
  
"Ohhh, that's her? She's so pretty- _wait_ , I do know her! I've seen her with Elrena from time to time! She's super adorable! So you two are related?" Michi marveled, recalling the shy girl. "It was actually very surprising that she was capable of something like that..."  
  
"I ended up cooking all of her favorite foods that day because I was worried she'd come home upset, but apparently Master Aced told her all she had to do was help fix the four floors she broke in the process. I couldn't ask for a better sister," Lauriam hummed, clearly in a better mood.  
  
"Best sister is _right here_ ," Brain interjected, hand outstretched as if to showcase Ario.  
  
"Your so-called 'best sister' almost took a chunk out of my arm after zooming all around this massive room!" Lauriam exclaimed as he moved higher up on brushing Ario's hair.  
  
"I didn't think she'd have gotten her energy back, shush," Brain retorted as he poked the spoon to Ario again.  
  
"Can't relate, I'm an only child," Michi said in a quiet sing-song voice. "I mean...to my knowledge. Who knows if I had a sibling in my past life?"  
  
Brain looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. "I think that all of us who live here in Daybreak Town ended up losing most of our original identities. Since we're all essentially orphans, it would make sense that our memories would have to be repressed lest we fall to darkness over the despair of our origins."  
  
Michi nodded thoughtfully. "I think we all retained _something_ though. I have this odd preference of clothing that I don't see others have and also the Moogles said it lines up with my liked foods too. So maybe that's a theory to follow up on?"  
  
"Done!" Lauriam exclaimed as he looked over to Ario. "I can't...get these two huge locks to stay down, but it'll do." He nodded at his handiwork and stood up, inspecting the bandage that Michi wrapped around him. "Thank you for that," he beamed, Michi returning the gesture.  
  
"Alright, let's see," Michi hummed as she crawled over next to Chirithy and Brain to look at the wrapped up Ario. Her eyes widened and a huge smile came to her face.  
  
"CUUUUUUUTE!" she screeched as she clutched her face and fell onto her side. "Lauriam, you've got to see this masterpiece you've created," she squealed as she rolled onto her back.  
  
A few seconds later after hearing Lauriam shuffle over, she heard his voice. "...I can forgive you a little for nearly ripping my arm out, Ario."  
  
"Hate you too, Bubblegum."  



	11. Two Birthdays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended Chapter Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MyEyV3NGLo
> 
> Guess who's sick while writing this? It's meeeeeee
> 
> Sorry for such a sporadic update!! Work is in absolute full swing since the school year kicked off, but I have the next arc planned! Elrena and Michi also really needed some time together ;w;
> 
> Also really wanted some more Foreteller bonding and headcanons thrown in
> 
> Thanks for reading! ;w;

Elrena placed her hand on Michi's forehead.

 

 

 

 

"You are _definitely_ running a fever."

Michi let out a short exhale before she erupted into a coughing fit. "Elrenaaaaaa," she whined, swiping her hands towards her best friend. "Make me feel better, I need to get back to missions..."

"I want you to get better, yes, but you are _not_ going on any missions anytime soon," Michi's Chirithy responded in place of Elrena before they placed a wet towel on Michi's forehead.

Michi let out another whine from her throat as she complied with Chirithy. "Elrena, we hardly get to see each other because of missions...and here I am getting sick before our meetup day."

"It's also your birthday, you delirious sap. Don't sweat it--wait, actually, _do_ sweat it. Get it out of your system," the blonde-haired woman responded as she took a seat next to Michi's bed and smoothed the covers over.

The bedridden Michi let out a shaky sigh before she stared up at the ceiling. "At least I can still talk," she remarked after a few seconds.

"If only you didn't," Chirithy retorted before Michi shot him a look. "You need to save your energy. Here, have some tea with honey," the spirit said as they brought over a hot cup of citrus tea with honey stirred in.

"Does it have to be hot?" Michi asked with a groan. "My tongue is gonna scaaaaaald..."

Elrena shook her head. "I forget how whiny you get when you're sick. It's the only time you actually get selfish too." A softer look crossed her face. "A certain someone told me that you still have that habit of putting everyone before yourself."

Michi let out a sigh and let out a strangled cough before she could finish, wincing. "I hate this," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "I need to get back to missions, I have to..."

Elrena reached over and smoothed Michi's hair out of her face. "Drink some tea and sleep a little, okay? I'll stay here," she assured as she helped Michi sit up momentarily.

Once she was up, Michi took the tea from Chirithy and sipped at it slowly. The temperature wasn't what she liked--she never liked hot drinks because of their tendency to scald her tongue. The honey was soothing the pain in her throat, but the urge to cough was even stronger now. 

"Sleep?" Chirithy asked as the spirit ambled over to Michi, taking care not to step on her, and pressed their forehead to hers.

"I'll try to wake up soon," Michi murmured before she smiled and pressed a small kiss to Chirithy's nose.

Michi listened to Elrena and Chirithy converse--their voices were soothing and would likely lull her into slumber much quicker than on her own.

There was a characteristic  _whoosh_ of wind that Michi recognized as a Chirithy appearing.

"Hi Chirithy."

"Hi Chirithy."

"Since she's gotten sick, it means you're also on the verge of sickness. I'll send Chirithy over to the Foreteller's offices back at the Academy to buy some medicine just for you too. Unfortunately, the  _both_ of you tend to put others before yourselves."

"We act as guides for our Wielders, yes, but it's true that we tend to pick up the well-being of them too."

"Believe me, that much is obvious with you and her. It just shows that Michi is blatantly honest about everything because you two hardly act different other than her not being  _as_ fussy about others."

"Oh please, I just try to be more responsible."

"So does she." 

The silence that followed after let Michi fall asleep.

Elrena let out a sigh through her nose. "I know why Michi's so insistent on doing her missions...even then, I wish she'd stop pushing herself too much. She's putting too much blame on herself for what happened two years ago."

Michi's Chirithy sat on the edge of the bed next to Elrena's Chirithy. "...I wish I could remember more about what happened too. Michi's state of mind was so frazzled and distressed that I wasn't even able to process anything until she could calm down herself. It's a double-edged sword having a connection like this...because I wanted to help her-- _nya-"_ They were interrupted by Elrena patting their head.

"Why are all of you Chirithy so cute? Mm...hey Chirithy, can you go buy some medicine for Michi's Chirithy here? You can use my Munny for it. Oh, and ask them about an invoice for Michi Aiza. I think she mentioned that she was expecting one."

"Be back soon," Elrena's Chirithy answered back and nodded before disappearing. 

* * *

  
The Chirithy appeared in front of a door with the Foreteller's emblems all engraved on it. They rapped at a smaller door built into it, waiting for the okay to go in.

"Come in!" came a peppy female's voice that the spirit recognized to be Lady Ava.

The room was the size of the Academy's library--there were numerous books with the same designs on them on each shelf. The spirit hopped in, surprised to see all five Foretellers inside poring over a cake, along with someone who immediately reminded them of Lauriam except much shorter and clearly female.

"What can we help you with?" Ira asked as the Chirithy bounded over and hopped onto a chair.

"I was sent over to pick up some medicine for a Chirithy. It's a cold," they explained. "Oh, and an invoice for Michi Aiza? Was probably supposed to come by the Moogle Delivery Service, but I think she wants it now even though she's literally bedridden."

The Foretellers all looked at each other with mixed expressions, and even Chirithy could feel the very awkward tension in the air as they looked to the sole other person in the room.

"I was going to just deliver that," the pink-haired girl murmured. "...I had another package for her too, so I can take everything," she added as she reached over to Chirithy and began to pat them on the head, eliciting a purr from the spirit.

"The other one you made?" Invi asked as she looked over to a wrapped parcel on the table next to what looked to be an extravagant cake. "If it's anything as cute as the one you made for Aced here-"

"Invi," Aced sighed, and from Chirithy's angle, they could see the absolute faintest tinge of a blush poke out from under his bear mask.

"Hey hey, I'm just being honest here. But I'm sure she'll appreciate it," Invi finished, giving Ario a small smile.

Ava leaned forward on the table with a small smile. "I'm glad to see you're progressing with things, Ario," she said before she got up and walked over to an immensely large bookshelf behind her. "A...Ai...here we go," she said as she slid a tall ladder down the length of the bookshelf, climbed it, plucked a book out from about the middle of the shelf, and opened it. A confused expression crossed her face for a second as a beam of light shone from it. She reached inside as if it was a box and fished out a sealed envelope. "Here's what she wants delivered," she told the teenager once she got down and handed it to her.

"What are all of those?" Elrena's Chirithy asked, peering beyond the initial shelf. "This room is a lot different from the last time I was here..." they added.

"These? They're all the records for every child in town. When they arrived in Daybreak Town--their birthday, if you will--their Union if applicable, their other affiliations, their Keyblade's information, their grades while they were here at the Academy, any punishments we've had to dole out, notable behavior..." Gula explained.

"And we had to lock them up here because there was a notorious class who kept breaking in to access records," Ira sighed irritably, drumming his fingers on the table.

"And here's the medicine for Michi's Chirithy, I'm guessing. Don't worry about paying for it. Really, no one should have to be sick on their birthday," Gula muttered as he handed Elrena's Chirithy a small bag of medicine. "And..." he glanced over to the other Foretellers warily, "The repairs are mostly done and we appreciate that she only takes on missions that give us the raw materials needed to reconstruct the buildings, so please remind her not to push herself too hard. None of us blame her.  _Right_?" he asked as he turned her head slowly to the other Foretellers.

Ario and Elrena's Chirithy glanced to each other and back to the adults before she put the envelope in her satchel and picked up the cake. "Chirithy, want to go for a ride?" she asked as she ignored the tension between the others, giving them their chance of escape.

"Sure?" Chirithy tilted their head before closing their eyes and shrinking a little to where they could fit into a pocket on Ario's uniform.

Before she closed the door, she heard an escalated argument involving Aced grumbling about Moogles, Ava quipping about an expulsion meeting, Ava questioning the usefulness of storm magic, the notorious troublemaker class, the destroyed buildings at the Academy, Ira claiming Gula stole Michi into his Union, and Invi trying desperately to calm everyone down.

Ario slammed the door back open. "Enjoy. Your. Birthday. Cake." She forced out, glaring at all of them before calmly closing the door again and leaving.

Once Ario was out of earshot, Invi inhaled loudly.

" _Thoot thoot,_ " she trilled, her tongue poking out from between her lips.

Another moment of silence passed before all five of them burst into laughter--Aced hunched over and clutching his sides, Ira with a hand on the table trying to support himself, Ava in a giggling fit, Gula sitting on the edge of the table covering his mouth, and Invi swaying side to side.

She had always been the mediator between the entire group--the Master didn't have to  _tell_ her to continue to be one, so why would he have asked that of her?

"We...really need to get our act together. The children are all depending on us," Invi said once she managed to catch her breath. "They're re-teaching  _us_ things that we've forgotten in this strife of ours."

The smiles slowly faded from everyone's faces--they couldn't disagree with her words.

"I think we need to properly investigate the Nightmare situation. Something tells me that the case of disappearing children isn't just a Heartless problem," Ava said after a few seconds.

Ira nodded, crossing his arms. "I don't like how the Heartless are becoming more  _organized_. Not the best revelation to come to."

"Terrible birthday present for you, at any rate," Invi told Aced as she leaned on him. "Now hold still, this room is cold and you're the best heat source."

"I've already accepted my fate," Aced lamented.

"Speaking of birthdays..." Gula glanced at the bookshelf that Michi's information had come from. "...guess we know how Ario knows Michi's birthday, at any rate," he sighed. "That entire class was out of control."

"It was two of my noodles that usually did the break-ins," Invi sighed and shrugged as she remained leaning on Aced. "I should have disciplined them better."

"And I think that we need to practice what we preach--forgive and move on," Gula added as he reached over with wiggling fingers for Aced's cake, which had a cute little frosting bear on the top.

"Don't touch my cake," Aced grumbled, swatting Gula's hands away while not letting Invi budge. He and Ira looked at each other with clenched jaws before they both sighed.

"We should find a way to clear the misunderstandings," they said in unison.

"A belated birthday present, maybe?" Aced suggested.

"More than that," Ira added.

Ava smiled and hummed. "Well...now that we're in a better mood, let's celebrate your birthday properly," she announced to Aced, throwing her arms in the air. 

"...someone needs to cut the cake for me, Invi fell asleep already."

* * *

  
_Michi was met with a bright, polite smile from the blonde-haired girl._

"Nice to meet you! I'm Michi! Looks like we'll be in the same classes from now on!"

"And I'm Elrena. We'll be seeing each other a lot unless one or both of us become Wielders."

_It was as if this was a third-person perspective where one watched the preteen selves of Michi and Elrena grow up slowly. Both had been very studious kids, and that only showed once two other boys joined their class not long afterward. They both said they'd delayed enrolling in the Academy until their younger siblings were old enough to enroll as well, which got a lot of attention--siblings were extremely uncommon in Daybreak Town. There were so many people in their class as children, and as time went on, more and more children disappeared. The threat of darkness was so prevalent that out of thousands of children, there were only around a collective 60 as close to adult-aged._

_The preteen Elrena, who was balancing electrical orbs above her hands, reached forward and summoned a Starlight Keyblade--her eyes lit up and the smile on her face made the dancing preteen Michi beside her jump in joy. Aced appeared behind Elrena, a proud smile on his face._

_Ava was panicking as the preteen Michi wailed--trying to control Firaga blew up in her face and singed a fair amount of her strawberry blonde hair off. Ava put the fire out and pressed her forehead to Michi's--and suddenly the young girl looked confused as she touched her hair, expression blank, as if she didn't recall what just happened._

_Elrena was brushing Michi's short hair and trimming it to make it prettier and taking care of it. Was that a glass wall surrounding the blonde-haired girl?_

_The next scene involved Master Aced blowing a whistle as Michi stood up straight, a wooden sword in hand, eyes focused ahead of her. He was saying words that couldn't be comprehended in this dream, but the younger Michi was adjusting her stance and Aced gave short nods in response as he handed her what looked to be a meal plan to follow. Aced may have been the scariest of the Foretellers (aside from Ira's occasional outbursts), but it didn't mean he didn't genuinely care about the health and well-being of the students._

"I'm okay Michi, really," _Elrena said as she drew her arms around herself._

_After this, younger Michi and Lady Invi were practicing dancing. Lady Invi was so graceful and she was laughing as she twirled around. It seemed that this was one of the things that brought her out of her shell--she came off as super shy to most everyone, and even a little scary to some children because of her snake motif. And then it phased to where Invi was laying back lazily on a pile of plushies, content and swaying happily, reaching out to Michi with a red panda plushie._

_Master Gula and Michi were sitting side by side, eyes closed, taking deep breaths. Gula began telling her that it wasn't wrong to have emotions--they were very healthy and she needed to express them. She just needed to understand that she had to keep them in check--too much negative emotions could draw Heartless in and cause her to fall to darkness as well, and the Foretellers didn't want that for the children._

"At least you can be honest with everyone," _Elrena whispered._

_Then there was Master Ira and the younger Michi singing; Ira always had a wonderful singing voice and he was in charge of proctoring the music classes. Plus, the Foretellers had noticed that Michi had a horrific magical sense, and so she needed another way to protect herself since she showed no current signs of wielding a Keyblade. Her habit of humming and dancing hadn't gone unnoticed, so they'd decided to try something different--hence Invi, Aced, and Ira spending a lot of time helping her developing her own way of fighting._

_The blonde-haired girl continued smiling throughout all of these, standing off to the side, smiling the whole time while the glass wall began to grow._

_A teenage Michi turned to the teenage Elrena, reached out, summoned a Starlight Keyblade, and shattered the glass with it, hugging Elrena tightly._

"Best friends forever, no matter what," _they both whispered as they held each other._

 

* * *

  
Michi opened her eyes, tears falling down the sides of her face towards her temples as she let out a shaky breath. She turned her head slightly and let out a squeak as Elrena's fingers wiped her tears away.

"Don't tell me you had a nightmare," Elrena muttered, looking concerned.

The other woman smiled and pressed her face against Elrena's hand. "Nothing like that. You're still here, after all."

Elrena's face went pink as she huffed. "D-don't you start being a sap like that on me! Oh yeah, someone came by earlier. Guessing it was Ario--she seemed like the same girl you always talk about in your letters."

"Hmmm?" Michi asked as she slowly worked on sitting up. "Guessing she was delivering things."

"Like a birthday cake and your invoice?" Elrena's Chirithy said as they poked some medicine towards Michi's Chirithy.

"Cake...? ...wonder how Ario knew it was my birthday..."

Elrena shrugged. "She seems like a good kid. Looks familiar, anyhow, but I can't place where..."

"I thought so too," Michi murmured as she looked up. "Ever since I met with her a few months ago, I can't help but wonder why she seems familiar...as if I've seen her everyday. She wasn't in our class."

"Based on her age, she would have been a grade below us," Elrena answered. 

"Also, Master Gula wanted to pass along to not overwork yourself," Elrena's Chirithy told Michi.

"Even your own Union leader agrees with us...now rest up, I'll cut the cake," the blonde-haired girl said as she stood up, hands on her hips. She went to the kitchen counter in Michi's room and went to look for a suitable knife while her Chirithy bounded over to her.

"You're not going to tell her that both you and Ario got angry over how pretty Michi is in her sleep? It'd be a good birthday present," they asked with a punctuated hum.

Elrena let out a squeak and blushed. "She'd overexert herself again if I told her," the woman said as she stared intensely at the cake. "It's gonna be one of my many secrets."


End file.
